


Squirrelflight's Hope

by Colress



Series: The Broken Code (Rewrite) [2]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, LGBT Cats (Warriors), Other, Posted just in time for Pride Month, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), SkyClan (Warriors), Squirrelflight will be adopting Treewhisker, The Sisters (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), WindClan (Warriors)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 44,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24482845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colress/pseuds/Colress
Summary: The five Clans are finally settled into their new territories around the lake—but not every cat is satisfied. When some cats pin their frustrations on a group of rogue cats discovered just beyond Clan boundaries, Squirrelflight is caught between her duty as ThunderClan’s deputy and her desire to do what’s right.
Relationships: Brambleclaw/Squirrelflight (Warriors), Brambleclaw/Squirrelflight/Jessy (Warriors), Larksong/Sparkpelt (Warriors), Squirrelflight & Leafpool (Warriors), Squirrelflight & Tree (Warriors)
Series: The Broken Code (Rewrite) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768531
Comments: 21
Kudos: 34





	1. Allegiances (+ Changes)

**Author's Note:**

> For more information about this arc, feel free to check out my Tumblr the-broken-code-rewrite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Moggy" is used to refer to a cat who is not a tom or a molly. Not all nonbinary cats are called moggies in this, as some are okay with being referred to as toms or mollies, but majority of them are. Moggy-toms are nonbinary men and moggy-mollies are nonbinary women.
> 
> Moggy is also used for unknown sires, as in the case of Sorrelstripe.
> 
> There is a cat referred to as a molly-tom. This is because they're bigender and their genders are man and woman.
> 
> Edit 10/10/2020: Minor appearance changes, moved SkyClan to the place it's normally shown in the allegiances
> 
> Edit 11/11/2020: Changed the situation about Beenose's kits as well as making Spotpaw adopted
> 
> Edit 11/23/2020: Added Sunshine to the Sisters. She is Petal's daughter and was Stream's littermate. Chapter 4 will be updated accordingly to include her

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:**  
 **Bramblestar** \- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Squirrelflight’s mate. Alderheart and Sparkpelt's father. Adoptive father of Jayfeather and Lionblaze. Tawnystar’s brother. Mothwing’s half-brother. (2 lives remaining) (He/him)

**Deputy:**  
 **Squirrelflight** \- Dark ginger molly with green eyes, one white paw, and a bushy tail. Bramblestar’s mate. Alderheart and Sparkpelt's mother. Adoptive mother of Jayfeather and Lionblaze. Leafpool's sister. (She/her)

**Medicine Cat(s):**  
 **Leafpool** \- Light brown tabby molly with a white chest and paws and amber eyes. Jayfeather and Lionblaze's mother. Squirrelflight’s sister. (She/her)

 **Jayfeather** \- Light gray tabby moggy-tom with blind blue eyes. Crowfeather and Leafpool’s son. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight’s adopted son. Lionblaze’s brother. Breezepelt’s half-brother. Alderheart and Sparkpelt's adopted brother. (He/they)

 **Alderheart** \- Dark ginger tom with amber eyes and a white-tipped tail. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight’s son. Sparkpelt’s brother. Lionblaze and Jayfeather's adopted brother. (He/him)

**Warriors:**  
 **Thornclaw** \- Golden-brown tabby tom with pale blue eyes. Sire of Poppyfrost, Cinderheart, and Lilyheart. Brackenfur and Brightheart’s brother. (He/him)

 **Whitewing** \- Mostly white calico molly with blue-green eyes. Birchfall’s mate. Dovewing and Ivypool’s mother. Cloudtail and Brightheart’s daughter. Dewnose’s sister. (She/her)

 **Birchfall** \- Pale gray-brown tabby tom with green-amber eyes. Whitewing’s mate. Dovewing and Ivypool’s father. (He/him)

 **Hazeltail** \- Gray and white molly with blue eyes. Poppyfrost's mate. Daisy’s daughter. Mousewhisker’s sister. Rosepetal and Toadstep’s half-sister. (She/her)

 **Mousewhisker** \- Gray and white tom with green eyes. Minnowstar’s mate. Daisy’s son. Hazeltail’s brother. Rosepetal and Toadstep’s half-brother. (He/him)

 **Poppyfrost** \- Pale tortoiseshell and white molly with pale blue eyes. Hazeltail's mate. Molewhisker and Cherryfall's mother. Brackenfur’s daughter. Cinderheart and Lilyheart’s sister. (She/they)

 **Cinderheart** \- Gray tabby molly with blue eyes. Lionblaze’s mate. Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, Fernsong, Snappaw and Flypaw’s mother. Adoptive mother of Spotpaw. Brackenfur’s daughter. Poppyfrost and Lilyheart’s sister. (She/her)

 **Lionblaze** \- Golden tabby tom with thick fur around his neck and amber eyes. Cinderheart’s mate. Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, Fernsong, Snappaw and Flypaw’s father. Adoptive father of Spotpaw. Crowfeather and Leafpool’s son. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight’s adopted son. Jayfeather’s brother. Breezepelt’s half-brother. Alderheart and Sparkpelt's adopted brother. (He/him)

 **Rosepetal** \- Dark cream molly with amber eyes. Bumblestripe’s mate. Daisy’s daughter. Toadstep’s sister. Hazeltail and Mousewhisker’s half-sister. (She/they)

 **Toadstep** \- Black and white tom with amber eyes. Blossomfall’s mate. Stemleaf, Plumstone, and Shellfur’s father. Daisy’s son. Rosepetal’s brother. Hazeltail and Mousewhisker’s half-brother. (He/they)

 **Blossomfall** \- Tortoiseshell molly with petal-shaped white patches and green eyes. Toadstep’s mate. Stemleaf, Plumstone, and Shellfur’s mother. Graystripe and Millie’s daughter. Bumblestripe’s sister. (She/ce/ne)

 **Bumblestripe** \- Very pale silvery-gray tom with black stripes and pale yellow eyes. Rosepetal’s mate. Graystripe and Millie’s son. Blossomfall’s brother. (He/him)

 **Ivypool** \- Silver and white tabby moggy-molly with dark blue eyes. Fernsong’s mate. Bristlekit, Thriftkit, and Twirlkit’s mother. Birchfall and Whitewing’s daughter. Dovewing’s sister. (She/ey/it)

 **Molewhisker** \- Big brown and cream tom with amber eyes. Poppyfrost’s son. Cherryfall’s brother. (He/him)

 **Cherryfall** \- Ginger molly with amber eyes. Poppyfrost’s daughter. Molewhisker’s sister. (She/her)

 **Lilyheart** \- Calico-tabby tom with blue eyes. Stormcloud’s mate. Larksong and Honeyfur’s father. Adoptive father of Twigshade. Brackenfur and Sorreltail’s son. Poppyfrost and Cinderheart’s brother. (She/her)

 **Dewnose** \- Gray and white tom with amber eyes. Cloudtail and Brightheart’s son. Whitewing’s brother. (He/him)

 **Stormcloud** \- Gray tabby tom with amber eyes. Lilyheart’s mate. Larksong and Honeyfur’s father. Adoptive father of Twigshade. (He/him)

 **Hollytuft** \- Black tom with green eyes. Lionblaze and Cinderheart’s son. Sorrelstripe, Fernsong, Snappaw, and Flypaw’s brother. Spotpaw's adopted brother. (She/her)

 **Sparkpelt** \- Ginger tabby molly with green eyes. Larksong’s mate. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight’s daughter. Alderheart’s sister. Lionblaze and Jayfeather's adopted sister. (She/her)

 **Larksong** \- Black molly with dark blue eyes. Sparkpelt’s mate. Lilyheart and Stormcloud’s daughter. Honeyfur’s sister. Twigshade's adopted sister. (He/him)

 **Honeyfur** \- Cream and white molly with amber eyes. Lilyheart and Stormcloud’s daughter. Larksong’s sister. Twigshade's adopted sister. (She/xe)  
 **_Apprentice, Spotpaw_ **

**Twigshade** \- Dark gray molly with green eyes. Finleap’s mate. Hawkwing’s daughter. Lilyheart and Stormcloud's adopted daughter. Violetshine’s sister. Larksong and Honeyfur's adopted sister. (She/her)  
 **_Apprentice, Flypaw_ **

**Finleap** \- Pale brown tom with dark ginger legs, a stump for a tail, and amber eyes. Twigshade’s mate. Sandynose and Plumwillow’s son. Dewspring and Reedclaw’s brother. (He/it)  
 **_Apprentice, Snappaw_ **

**Stemleaf** \- Ginger and white tom with green eyes. Toadstep and Blossomfall’s son. Plumstone and Shellfur’s brother. (He/him)

 **Plumstone** \- Dark tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes. Toadstep and Blossomfall’s daughter. Stemleaf and Shellfur’s sister. (She/her)

 **Shellfur** \- Tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes. Toadstep and Blossomfall’s son. Stemleaf and Plumstone’s brother. (He/him)

**Apprentices:**  
 **Snappaw** \- Golden tabby tom with amber eyes. Lionblaze and Cinderheart’s son. Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, Fernsong, and Flypaw’s brother. Spotpaw's adopted brother. (He/they)

 **Spotpaw** \- Gray and white spotted tabby molly with blue eyes. Lionblaze and Cinderheart’s adopted daughter. Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, Fernsong, Snappaw, and Flypaw’s adopted sister. (She/her)

 **Flypaw** \- Gray tabby molly with amber eyes. Lionblaze and Cinderheart’s daughter. Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, Fernsong, and Snappaw’s sister. Spotpaw's adopted sister. (She/it)

**Queens:**  
 **Daisy** \- Long-haired cream molly with blue eyes. Permanent queen. Hazeltail, Mousewhisker, Rosepetal, and Toadstep’s mother. (She/her)

 **Fernsong** \- Golden tabby moggy-tom with green eyes. Lionblaze and Cinderheart’s son. Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, Snappaw, and Flypaw’s brother. Spotpaw's adopted brother. (He/him) Father of Ivypool’s kits ( **Bristlekit** \- Pale silvery-gray molly with pale blue eyes (She/her); **Thriftkit** \- Dark gray molly with tufted ears and pale amber eyes (She/her); and **Twirlkit** \- Brown tabby tom with green eyes. (He/him)). Kits are 6 moons old.

 **Sorrelstripe** \- Dark brown molly with a darker stripe down her spine and amber eyes. Lionblaze and Cinderheart’s daughter. Hollytuft, Fernsong, Snappaw, and Flypaw’s sister. Spotpaw's adopted sister. (She/her) Mother of an unknown moggy’s kits ( **Baykit** \- Golden tabby tom with white splotches and amber eyes (He/him); and **Myrtlekit** \- Pale brown molly with dark green eyes. (She/her)). Kits are 0 moons old.

**Elders:**  
 **Graystripe** \- Gray tom with a darker stripe down his spine and yellow eyes. Millie’s mate. Blossomfall and Bumblestripe’s father. (He/him)

 **Millie** \- Silver-gray tabby molly with blue eyes and poor hearing. Oldest cat in ThunderClan. Graystripe’s mate. Blossomfall and Bumblestripe’s mother. (She/her)

 **Brackenfur** \- Golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Poppyfrost, Cinderheart, and Lilyheart’s father. Brightheart and Thornclaw’s brother. (He/him)

 **Brightheart** \- Heavily-scarred ginger and white molly with one blue eye. Cloudtail’s mate. Whitewing and Dewnose’s mother. Brackenfur and Thornclaw’s sister. (She/they)

 **Cloudtail** \- Long-haired white tom with blue eyes. Brightheart’s mate. Whitewing and Dewnose’s father. (He/they)

**ShadowClan**

**Leader:**  
 **Tawnystar** \- Pale tortoiseshell molly with green eyes. Dawnpelt’s mother. Bramblestar’s sister. Mothwing’s half-sister. (6 lives remaining) (She/her)

**Deputy:**  
 **Strikestone** \- Brown tabby tom with a white belly and paws and amber eyes. Beenose's mate. Adoptive father of Hopkit and Flaxkit. Dawnpelt’s son. Flameface and Duskheart’s brother. (He/him)  
 **_Apprentice, Blazepaw_ **

**Medicine Cat(s):**  
 **Puddleshine** \- Brown tom with white splotches and blue eyes. Pinenose’s son. Lioneye’s brother. (He/they)  
 **_Apprentice, Shadowpaw_ **

**Warriors:**  
 **Snowbird** \- Pure white molly with green eyes. Cloverfoot, Beenose, Gullswoop, Conefoot, and Frondwhisker’s mother. Surrogate of Shrewfoot. Ratscar’s sister. (She/her)  
 **_Apprentice, Pouncepaw_ **

**Toadfoot** \- Dark brown tom with amber eyes. Grassheart's father. Marshtail’s brother. (He/him)  
 **_Apprentice, Lightpaw_ **

**Marshtail** \- Gray, brown, and white moggy with green eyes. Toadfoot’s sibling. (They/them)

 **Olivenose** \- Tortoiseshell moggy-molly with green eyes. Shrewfoot’s mate. (She/her)  
 **_Apprentice, Spirepaw_ **

**Shrewfoot** \- Gray molly with black paws and yellow eyes. Olivenose’s mate. (She/it)

 **Dawnpelt** \- Cream molly with pale green eyes. Strikestone, Flameface, and Duskheart’s mother. Tawnystar’s daughter. (She/her)  
 **_Apprentice, Sunpaw_ **

**Cloverfoot** \- Gray tabby molly with green eyes. Snowbird’s daughter. Beenose, Gullswoop, Conefoot, and Frondwhisker’s half-sister. (She/her)

 **Antfur** \- Brown and black splotched tom with amber eyes. Former loner. Cinnamontail, Dovewing, and Pinenose’s mate. (He/him)

 **Cinnamontail** \- Brown tabby molly with white paws and yellow eyes. Former loner. Antfur, Dovewing, and Pinenose’s mate. (She/her)

 **Dovewing** \- Fluffy pale gray moggy-molly with one green eye and one blue eye. Formerly of ThunderClan. Lightpaw, Pouncepaw, and Shadowpaw’s mother. Antfur, Cinnamontail, and Pinenose’s mate. (She/they/fae)  
 **_Apprentice, Hollowpaw_ **

**Pinenose** \- Black molly with green eyes. Antfur, Cinnamontail, and Dovewing’s mate. Puddleshine and Lioneye’s mother. Ferretclaw’s sister. (She/it)

 **Ferretclaw** \- Cream and gray tom with green eyes. Pinenose’s brother. (He/it)

 **Mistcloud** \- Spiky-furred pale gray molly with blue eyes. Sparrowtail’s sister. (She/it)

 **Sparrowtail** \- Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Hollowpaw, Sunpaw, and Spirepaw’s father. Mistcloud’s brother. (He/him)

 **Grassheart** \- Pale brown tabby molly with green eyes. Wasptail and Stonewing’s mate. Snaketooth and Whorlpelt’s mother. Toadfoot's daughter. (She/her)

 **Wasptail** \- Golden tabby molly with green eyes. Grassheart and Stonewing’s mate. Snaketooth and Whorlpelt’s mother. (She/they/ze)

 **Stonewing** \- White tom with dark blue eyes. Grassheart and Wasptail’s mate. Snaketooth and Whorlpelt’s father. (He/they/sie)

 **Lioneye** \- Golden tabby molly with amber eyes. Pinenose’s daughter. Puddleshine’s sister. (She/her)

 **Snaketooth** \- Golden-brown tabby molly with green eyes. Grassheart, Wasptail, and Stonewing’s daughter. Whorlpelt’s sister. (She/her)

 **Whorlpelt** \- Gray and white tom with blue eyes. Gullswoop’s mate. Grassheart, Wasptail, and Stonewing’s son. Snaketooth’s brother. (He/him)

 **Gullswoop** \- White molly with amber eyes. Whorlpelt’s mate. Snowbird’s daughter. Beenose, Conefoot, and Frondwhisker’s sister. Cloverfoot's half-sister. (She/ae)

 **Conefoot** \- White and gray tom with green eyes. Snowbird’s son. Beenose, Gullswoop, and Frondwhisker’s brother. Cloverfoot's half-brother. (He/him)

 **Frondwhisker** \- Gray tabby molly with green eyes. Snowbird’s daughter. Beenose, Gullswoop, and Conefoot’s sister. Cloverfoot's half-sister. (She/they)

 **Flameface** \- Ginger and white tom with green eyes. Dawnpelt’s son. Strikestone and Duskheart’s brother. (He/him)

 **Duskheart** \- Tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes. Dawnpelt’s daughter. Strikestone and Flameface’s sister. (She/ce)

**Apprentices:**  
 **Blazepaw** \- Ginger Van tom with amber eyes. Former loner. (He/him)

 **Lightpaw** \- Dark brown tabby molly with pale green eyes. Dovewing’s daughter. Pouncepaw and Shadowpaw’s sister. (She/her)

 **Pouncepaw** \- Gray molly with dark amber eyes. Dovewing’s daughter. Lightpaw and Shadowpaw’s sister. (She/her)

 **Shadowpaw** \- Dark gray tabby tom with one amber eye and one blue eye. Dovewing’s son. Lightpaw and Pouncepaw’s brother. (He/they/ne)

 **Hollowpaw** \- Black tom with green eyes. Sparrowtail’s son. Sunpaw and Spirepaw’s brother. (He/him)

 **Sunpaw** \- Brown tabby and white molly with yellow eyes. Sparrowtail’s daughter. Hollowpaw and Spirepaw’s sister. (She/her)

 **Spirepaw** \- Black and white tom with yellow eyes. Sparrowtail’s son. Hollowpaw and Sunpaw’s brother. (He/him)

**Queens:**  
 **Beenose** \- Plump white molly with black ears and pale blue eyes. Strikestone's mate. Snowbird’s daughter. Gullswoop, Conefoot, and Frondwhisker’s sister. Cloverfoot's half-sister. (She/her) Mother of Sleekwhisker’s kits ( **Hopkit** \- Calico molly with green eyes (She/her); and **Flaxkit** \- Dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes. (He/him)). Kits are 5 moons old.

**Elders:**  
 **Ratscar** \- Scarred dark brown tom with yellow eyes. Oldest cat in ShadowClan. Oakfur's mate. Snowbird’s brother. (He/it)

 **Oakfur** \- Small pale brown tom with amber eyes. Ratscar's mate. (He/him)

**SkyClan**

**Leader:**  
 **Leafstar** \- Pale brown and cream tabby molly with amber eyes. Firefern and Echobrook’s mother. (1 life remaining) (She/her)

**Deputy:**  
 **Macgyver** \- Black and white tom with yellow eyes. Former kittypet. Honeytail’s mate. (He/him)

**Medicine Cat(s):**  
 **Frecklewish** \- Mottled pale brown tabby molly with spotted legs and green eyes. (She/fae)

 **Fidgetflake** \- Black and white tom with blue eyes. Sagenose, Birdwing, and Firefern’s son. (He/they)

**Mediator:**  
 **Treewhisker** \- Golden tom with amber eyes and six toes on one paw. Violetshine’s mate. Rootkit and Needlekit’s father. Moonlight's son. Ice and Sunrise's brother. (He/ce/ne/it)

**Warriors:**  
 **Cherrytail** \- Tortoiseshell and white molly with green eyes. Hawkwing, Blossomheart, and Cloudmist’s mother. Sparrowpelt’s sister. (She/her)

 **Sparrowpelt** \- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Tinycloud’s mate. Sunnypelt, Pigeonfoot, and Quailfeather’s father. Cherrytail’s brother. (He/him)

 **Rockshade** \- Black tom with yellow eyes. Clovertail’s son. Tinycloud’s brother. Sandynose, Birdwing, and Honeytail’s foster brother. (He/they/it)

 **Tinycloud** \- Small white molly with dark blue eyes. Sparrowpelt’s mate. Sunnypelt, Pigeonfoot, and Quailfeather’s mother. Clovertail’s daughter. Rockshade’s sister. Sandynose, Birdwing, and Honeytail’s foster sister. (She/her)

 **Mintfur** \- Gray tabby molly with blue eyes. Nettlesplash’s mate. Palesky, Nectarsong, Gravelnose, and Fringewhisker’s mother. Petalnose’s daughter. Sagenose’s sister. (She/they)

 **Sagenose** \- Very pale gray tom with faint tabby stripes and green eyes. Birdwing and Firefern’s mate. Fidgetflake’s father. Petalnose’s son. Mintfur’s brother. (He/him)

 **Rabbitleap** \- Brown tom with amber eyes. Sire of Bellaleaf’s kits. Fallowfern’s son. Nettlesplash and Plumwillow’s brother. (He/him)

 **Nettlesplash** \- Pale brown tom with blue eyes. Mintfur’s mate. Palesky, Nectarsong, Gravelnose, and Fringewhisker’s father. Fallowfern’s son. Rabbitleap and Plumwillow’s brother. (He/they)

 **Plumwillow** \- Dark gray molly with yellow eyes. Sandynose’s mate. Dewspring, Reedclaw, and Finleap’s mother. Fallowfern’s daughter. Rabbitleap and Nettlesplash’s sister. (She/xe)

 **Sandynose** \- Stocky pale brown tabby tom with dark ginger legs and amber eyes. Plumwillow’s mate. Dewspring, Reedclaw, and Finleap’s father. Clovertail’s foster son. Rockshade, Tinycloud, Birdwing, and Honeytail’s foster brother. (He/him)

 **Birdwing** \- Black moggy-molly with a paler muzzle and green eyes. Sagenose and Firefern’s mate. Fidgetflake’s mother. Clovertail’s foster daughter. Rockshade, Tinycloud, Sandynose, and Honeytail’s foster sister. (He/she)

 **Firefern** \- Ginger molly with green eyes. Sagenose and Birdwing's mate. Fidgetflake's mother. Leafstar’s daughter. Echobrook’s sister. (She/her)

 **Echobrook** \- Silvery-gray tom with a paler underbelly and amber eyes. Reedclaw and Bellaleaf’s mate. Kitekit and Turtlekit’s father. Leafstar’s son. Firefern’s brother. (He/him)

 **Hawkwing** \- Dark gray tabby moggy-tom with yellow eyes. Violetshine and Twigshade’s father. Cherrytail’s son. Blossomheart and Cloudmist’s brother. (He/him)

 **Blossomheart** \- Ginger and white molly with green eyes. Cherrytail’s daughter. Hawkwing and Cloudmist’s sister. (She/her)

 **Cloudmist** \- White molly with yellow eyes. Cherrytail’s daughter. Hawkwing and Blossomheart’s sister. (She/ne/it)

 **Palesky** \- Black and white molly with blue eyes. Nettlesplash and Mintfur’s daughter. Nectarsong, Gravelnose, and Fringewhisker’s sister. (She/her)

 **Nectarsong** \- Brown molly with amber eyes. Nettlesplash and Mintfur’s daughter. Palesky, Gravelnose, and Fringewhisker’s sister. (She/ze)

 **Gravelnose** \- Pale creamy-brown tom with blue eyes. Nettlesplash and Mintfur’s son. Palesky, Nectarsong, and Fringewhisker’s brother. (He/him)

 **Fringewhisker** \- Brown and white molly with blue eyes. Nettlesplash and Mintfur’s daughter. Palesky, Nectarsong, and Gravelnose’s sister. (She/they)

 **Dewspring** \- Sturdy gray and white tom with amber eyes. Sandynose and Plumwillow’s son. Reedclaw and Finleap’s brother. (He/him)

 **Sunnypelt** \- Ginger molly with amber eyes. Sparrowpelt and Tinycloud’s daughter. Pigeonfoot and Quailfeather’s sister. (She/her)

 **Pigeonfoot** \- Gray and white molly with dark blue eyes. Sparrowpelt and Tinycloud’s daughter. Sunnypelt and Quailfeather’s sister. (She/ae)

 **Quailfeather** \- White tom with crow-black ears and blue eyes. Sparrowpelt and Tinycloud’s son. Sunnypelt and Pigeonfoot’s brother. (He/ce)

**Apprentices:**   
**_Currently none_ **

**Queens:**  
 **Honeytail** \- Pale ginger tabby molly with amber eyes. Permanent queen. Macgyver’s mate. Clovertail’s foster daughter. Rockshade, Tinycloud, Sandynose, and Birdwing’s foster sister. (She/her)

 **Reedclaw** \- Small pale brown tabby molly with amber eyes. Bellaleaf’s mate. Sandynose and Plumwillow’s daughter. Dewspring and Finleap’s sister. (She/it) Mother of Echobrook’s kits ( **Kitekit** \- Reddish-brown tom with amber eyes (He/him); and **Turtlekit** \- Tortoiseshell molly with green eyes. (She/her)). Kits are 3 moons old.

 **Violetshine** \- Black and white molly with amber eyes. Hawkwing’s daughter. Twigshade’s sister. (She/fae) Mother of Treewhisker’s kits ( **Rootkit** \- Golden moggy-tom with blue eyes (He/ae); and **Needlekit** \- Black and white moggy-molly with one blue eye and one amber eye. (She/ey)). Kits are 0 moons old.

 **Bellaleaf** \- Pale ginger molly with green eyes. Echobrook and Reedclaw’s mate. (She/her) Expecting Rabbitleap’s kits.

**Elders:**  
 **Clovertail** \- Light brown molly with a white belly and legs and green eyes. Oldest cat in SkyClan. Petalnose and Fallowfern's mate. Rockshade and Tinycloud’s mother. Sandynose, Birdwing, and Honeytail’s foster mother. (She/her)

 **Petalnose** \- Very pale gray, almost white, molly with blue eyes. Clovertail and Fallowfern's mate. Mintfur and Sagenose’s mother. (She/they)

 **Fallowfern** \- Pale brown molly with blue eyes. Lost her hearing. Clovertail and Petalnose's mate. Rabbitleap, Nettlesplash, and Plumwillow’s mother. (She/her)

**WindClan**

**Leader:**  
 **Sedgestar** \- Light brown tabby molly with amber eyes. Emberfoot’s mate. Lightwing and Fernstripe’s mother. Featherpelt’s foster mother. Gorsetail’s daughter. (9 lives remaining) (She/her)

**Deputy:**  
 **Breezepelt** \- Black moggy-tom with amber eyes. Standing in for Heathertail until kits are weaned. Heathertail’s mate. Brindlewing and Smokehaze’s father. Crowfeather and Nightcloud’s son. Jayfeather and Lionblaze’s half-brother. (He/ne/it)

**Medicine Cat(s):**  
 **Kestrelflight** \- Mottled brownish-gray moggy with white splotches like kestrel feathers and green eyes. Heathertail and Harespring’s sibling. (They/ae)

**Warriors:**  
 **Nightcloud** \- Black molly with amber eyes. Breezepelt’s mother. (She/her)

 **Emberfoot** \- Gray tom with two dark paws and amber eyes. Sedgestar’s mate. Lightwing and Fernstripe’s father. Featherpelt’s foster father. Dewspots’s brother. (He/him)

 **Dewspots** \- Spotted gray tabby molly with pale yellow eyes. Willowclaw’s mate. Furzepelt and Boulderfur’s mother. Emberfoot’s sister. (She/her)

 **Willowclaw** \- Gray molly with amber eyes. Dewspots’s mate. Furzepelt and Boulderfur’s mother. (She/her)

 **Crowfeather** \- Dark gray tom with blue eyes. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Breezepelt’s father. (He/him)

 **Leaftail** \- Very dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes. Sunstrike, Whiskernose, and Larkwing’s father. Tawnyfur’s son. (He/him)

 **Harespring** \- Brown and white molly with green eyes. Kestrelflight and Heathertail’s sister. (He/they)

 **Sunstrike** \- Tortoiseshell molly with a large white mark on her forehead and amber eyes. Furzepelt’s mate. Leaftail’s daughter. Whiskernose and Larkwing’s sister. (She/ce/it)

 **Furzepelt** \- Gray and white molly with green eyes. Sunstrike’s mate. Dewspots and Willowclaw’s daughter. Boulderfur’s sister. (She/sie)

 **Boulderfur** \- Big pale gray tom with pale green eyes. Dewspots and Willowclaw’s son. Furzepelt’s brother. (He/him)

 **Crouchfoot** \- Black and ginger tom with amber eyes. Larkwing’s mate. (He/him)

 **Larkwing** \- Light gray spotted tabby molly with amber eyes. Crouchfoot’s mate. Leaftail’s daughter. Sunstrike and Whiskernose’s sister. (She/her)

 **Hootwhisker** \- Dark gray tom with yellow eyes. Slightfoot’s brother. (He/him)

 **Slightfoot** \- Black moggy-tom with a white flash on his chest and green eyes. Hootwhisker’s brother. (He/they)

 **Oatclaw** \- Pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Featherpelt’s mate. (He/him)

 **Lightwing** \- Pale brown tabby molly with green eyes. Emberfoot and Sedgestar’s daughter. Fernstripe’s sister. (She/it)

 **Fernstripe** \- Gray tabby molly with green eyes. Emberfoot and Sedgestar’s daughter. Lightwing’s sister. (She/they)

 **Brindlewing** \- Mottled brown molly with amber eyes. Breezepelt and Heathertail’s daughter. Smokehaze’s sister. (She/her)

 **Smokehaze** \- Gray molly with blue eyes. Breezepelt and Heathertail’s daughter. Brindlewing’s sister. (She/they)

**Apprentices:**   
**_Currently none_ **

**Queens:**  
 **Heathertail** \- Light brown tabby molly with blue eyes. Brindlewing and Smokehaze’s mother. Kestrelflight and Harespring’s sister. (She/her) Expecting Breezepelt’s kits.

 **Featherpelt** \- Gray tabby molly with green eyes. (She/her) Expecting Oatclaw’s kits.

**Elders:**  
 **Tawnyfur** \- Golden-brown moggy-molly with yellow eyes. Oldest cat in WindClan. Leaftail’s mother. (She/they)

 **Gorsetail** \- Very pale mottled gray and white tabby moggy with blue eyes. Sedgestar’s parent. (All pronouns)

 **Whiskernose** \- Heavily-scarred light brown tom with amber eyes. Leaftail’s son. Sunstrike and Larkwing’s brother. (He/ze)

**RiverClan**

**Leader:**  
 **Minnowstar** \- Dappled dark gray and white molly with amber eyes. Mousewhisker’s mate. (8 lives remaining) (She/they)

**Deputy:**  
 **Lizardtail** \- Light brown tom with green eyes. Lakeheart’s mate. Gorseclaw, Dappletuft, Softpelt, and Harelight’s father. Havenpelt’s brother. (He/him)

**Medicine Cat(s):**  
 **Mothwing** \- Dappled golden tabby molly with amber eyes. Bramblestar and Tawnystar’s half-sister. (She/her)

 **Willowshine** \- Pale gray tabby molly with green eyes. Mosspelt’s daughter. (She/her)

**Warriors:**  
 **Duskfur** \- Brown tabby molly with amber eyes. Curlfeather and Podlight’s mother. Otterheart and Pinefur’s sister. (She/her)

 **Otterheart** \- Dark brown molly with yellow eyes. Graymist's mate. Troutstream, Shimmerpelt, and Lakeheart’s mother. Duskfur and Pinefur’s sister. (He/she)

 **Pinefur** \- Brown tabby moggy with green eyes and very short fur. Duskfur and Otterheart’s sibling. (It/its)

 **Icewing** \- White molly with blue eyes. Mintpelt’s mate. Petalfur, Nightsky, and Breezeheart’s mother. (She/her)

 **Mintpelt** \- Light gray tabby tom with green eyes. Icewing’s mate. Petalfur, Nightsky, and Breezeheart’s father. Graymist and Rainstorm’s brother. (He/they)

 **Graymist** \- Pale gray tabby molly with green eyes. Otterheart's mate. Sneezecloud, Troutstream, Shimmerpelt, and Lakeheart’s mother. Mallownose’s adoptive mother. Mintpelt and Rainstorm’s sister. (She/they)

 **Rainstorm** \- Mottled dark blue-gray tom with blue eyes. Mintpelt and Graymist’s brother. (He/him)

 **Sneezecloud** \- Gray and white tom with green eyes. Havenpelt’s mate. Fogkit and Splashkit’s father. Graymist’s son. Troutstream, Shimmerpelt, and Lakeheart's half-brother. Mallownose’s adopted brother. (He/they)

 **Mallownose** \- Light brown tabby tom with green eyes. Petalfur’s mate. Brackenpelt, Jayclaw, and Owlnose’s father. Graymist’s adopted son. Sneezecloud’s adopted brother. (He/him)

 **Petalfur** \- Gray and white molly with amber eyes. Mallownose’s mate. Brackenpelt, Jayclaw, and Owlnose’s mother. Mintpelt and Icewing’s daughter. Nightsky and Breezeheart’s sister. (She/her)

 **Troutstream** \- Pale gray tabby molly with pale blue eyes. Otterheart and Graymist’s daughter. Shimmerpelt and Lakeheart’s sister. Sneezecloud's half-sister. (She/her)

 **Shimmerpelt** \- Silver molly with green eyes. Otterheart and Graymist’s daughter. Troutstream and Lakeheart’s sister. Sneezecloud's half-sister. (She/they)

 **Lakeheart** \- Gray tabby molly with blue eyes. Lizardtail’s mate. Gorseclaw, Dappletuft, Softpelt, and Harelight’s mother. Otterheart and Graymist’s daughter. Troutstream and Shimmerpelt’s sister. Sneezecloud's half-sister. (She/her)

 **Curlfeather** \- Pale brown molly with amber eyes. Jayclaw’s mate. Duskfur’s daughter. Podlight’s sister. (She/her)

 **Podlight** \- Gray and white tom with green eyes. Owlnose and Foxnose’s mate. Duskfur’s son. Curlfeather’s brother. (He/they)

 **Brackenpelt** \- Tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes. Mallownose and Petalfur’s daughter. Jayclaw and Owlnose’s sister. (She/her)

 **Jayclaw** \- Gray tom with blue eyes. Curlfeather’s mate. Mallownose and Petalfur’s son. Brackenpelt and Owlnose’s brother. (He/him)

 **Owlnose** \- Brown tabby moggy with amber eyes. Podlight and Foxnose’s mate. Mallownose and Petalfur’s kit. Brackenpelt and Jayclaw’s sibling. (They/ne)

 **Foxnose** \- Russet tabby tom with green eyes. Podlight and Owlnose’s mate. (He/him)

 **Nightsky** \- Dark gray molly with blue eyes. Mintpelt and Icewing’s daughter. Petalfur and Breezeheart’s sister. (She/her)

 **Breezeheart** \- Brown and white molly-tom with amber eyes. Mintpelt and Icewing’s daughter. Petalfur and Nightsky’s sister. (He/she)

 **Gorseclaw** \- White tom with gray ears, one blue eye, and one green eye. Lizardtail and Lakeheart’s son. Dappletuft, Softpelt, and Harelight’s brother. (He/him)

 **Dappletuft** \- Gray and white moggy with green eyes. Lizardtail and Lakeheart’s kit. Gorseclaw, Softpelt, and Harelight’s sibling. (They/fae)

 **Softpelt** \- Dark gray molly with lighter paws and green eyes. Lizardtail and Lakeheart’s daughter. Gorseclaw, Dappletuft, and Harelight’s sister. (She/her)

 **Harelight** \- White tom with blue eyes. Lizardtail and Lakeheart’s son. Gorseclaw, Dappletuft, and Softpelt’s brother. (He/ey)

**Apprentices:**   
**_Currently none_ **

**Queens:**  
 **Havenpelt** \- Black and white molly with blue eyes. Lizardtail’s sister. (She/her) Mother of Sneezecloud’s kits ( **Fogkit** \- Gray and white molly with blue eyes (She/it); and **Splashkit** \- Brown tabby tom with green eyes. (He/ey)). Kits are 0 moons old.

**Elders:**  
 **Mosspelt** \- Tortoiseshell and white molly with blue eyes. Oldest cat in RiverClan. Willowshine’s mother. (She/her)

**The Sisters**

**Leader:**  
 **Moonlight** \- Huge gray molly with a fluffy tail and blue eyes. Treewhisker, Ice, and Sunrise’s mother. (She/her) Expecting kits.

**Sisters:**  
 **Snow** \- Big snowy-white molly with blue eyes. Second in command alongside Tempest. (She/her)

 **Tempest** \- Silver tabby molly with amber eyes. Second in command alongside Snow. Mother of Stone and Grass. (She/her)

 **Furze** \- Ginger molly with yellow eyes. Mother of Creek. (She/they)

 **Hawk** \- Brown torbie molly with amber eyes. Mother of Flurry and Sparrow. (They/them)

 **Petal** \- Pale tortoiseshell and white molly with blue eyes. Sunshine's mother. (She/it)

 **Flurry** \- Ginger and white molly with green eyes. Hawk's daughter. Sparrow's sister. (She/ze)

 **Sparrow** \- Ginger and white molly with amber eyes. Hawk's daughter. Flurry's sister. (She/xe)

 **Sunshine** \- Plump cream molly with light green eyes. Petal's daughter. (She/ne)

 **Ice** \- Pale gray molly with green eyes. Moonlight's daughter. Treewhisker and Sunrise's sister. (She/her)

 **Sunrise** \- Golden molly with amber eyes. Moonlight's daughter. Treewhisker and Ice's sister. (She/it)

**Toms:**  
 **Grass** \- White tom with silver tabby splotches on his legs and green eyes. Tempest's son. Stone's brother. (He/him) 6 moons old.

 **Stone** \- Silver and white tabby tom with amber eyes. Tempest's son. Grass's brother. (He/him) 6 moons old.

 **Creek** \- Ginger tom with green eyes. Furze's son. (He/him) 3 moons old.

**Changes:**

  * Bramblestar and Squirrelflight have a third mate in Jessy, who is still a loner but returns to help ThunderClan through leaf-bare
  * Berrynose died in Hazeltail’s place
  * Thornclaw is the sire of Sorreltail’s kits, though Brackenfur (who is a trans tom) is the one they view as their father
  * Toadstep is alive and is the father of Blossomfall’s kits
  * During her assessment, Eaglepaw ran into a fox, which killed her and Ambermoon. She received her warrior name, Eaglewing, through the dying apprentice ceremony. In addition, Eaglewing was dark gray and white
  * Bumblestripe decided to pursue Rosepetal after he and Dovewing broke up in Bramblestar’s Storm. They’re planning on having kits soon--perhaps after Rosepetal gets her next promised apprentice
  * Lilyheart’s mate is Stormcloud. Lilyheart is also a she/her bi trans man and is very comfortable raising kits and being in the nursery
  * Briarlight and Snowbush were killed in the rockslide, rather than sickness for the former. Briarlight stayed behind in camp to make sure all the kits got out safely, since they were her kin. Snowbush stayed to help her get out, but they were both too late. They were both found alive, but Briarlight died because her lungs collapsed after some broken ribs, while Snowbush died from his infected broken leg. Blossomfall and Bumblestripe both had a major change of heart after this, knowing that the former’s kits were alive and safe thanks to her
  * Larksong is a he/him trans lesbian
  * Hollytuft is a she/her gay trans man
  * The sire of Sorrelstripe’s kits is Dragonfly, a rogue/loner who used to be part of the Kin. Dragonfly herself is a trans lesbian
  * Leafshade drowned in in The Raging Storm
  * Twigbranch’s name is Twigshade
  * Flipkit’s name is now Twirlkit, and he was named by Fernsong
  * Fernsong is shown in the nursery caring for his and Ivypool’s kits. He’s also genderfluid but uses he/him regardless, and is generally comfortable being referred to as a tom
  * Brightheart mentored Fernsong and Stemleaf, and finished training Icecloud after Whitewing moved into the nursery
  * Shellfur is a trans tom
  * Finleap is intersex and has a complicated relationship with his gender. He uses he/it pronouns and also realized the mistakes of his actions towards Twigshade in The Raging Storm. Finleap is going to wait until Twigshade’s ready to try and have kits (via adoption or a sire--possibly by Molewhisker or Dewspring)
  * Brightheart is a cryptic tortie and Cloudtail masks ginger and dilute (Princess herself was a cryptic tortie and carried dilute, while his father Oliver masked black and dilute)
  * I was very tempted to add Jessy to the Clan, but decided against it. She now wanders around but visits every leaf-bare (she was there for the birth of Alderheart and Sparkpelt), and is mates with both Bramblestar and Squirrelflight, who also have a much healthier relationship than in canon (to make the books of the actual arc contrast more)
  * Snappaw, Spotpaw, and Flypaw are about to be named warriors, while Bristlekit, Thriftkit, and Twirlkit are about to be named apprentices (it’s late newleaf, and I personally believe Fernsong and Ivypool’s kits were born in late leaf-fall)
  * Spotpaw was adopted. Her parents are kittypets Loki and Zelda, and she was brought to ThunderClan with Velvet and Fuzzball. She chose to stay in ThunderClan after they left, becoming Spotkit (her original name was Spots)
  * Some ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan cats who disappeared after Power of Three and Omen of the Stars have returned
  * A handful of ShadowClan cats who were said to have died in the Dark Forest battle are alive
  * Marshkit is alive and is a warrior named Marshtail. They are agender and use they/them
  * Tigerheart died on the trip back to the Clans with Dovewing, the Guardian Cats, and the lost ShadowClan cats. Tawnypelt became leader in his place and named Strikestone deputy
  * Ant and Cinnamon became warriors when they joined rather than apprentices
  * Dawnpelt is now alive
  * Pinenose is now alive
  * Lioneye is now alive
  * Slatefur is now dead
  * Beenose is now alive
  * Yarrowleaf is now dead
  * Wasptail is now alive and is in a polyamorous relationship with Grassheart and Stonewing
  * Flowerstem is now dead
  * Mistcloud is now alive
  * Scorchfur is now dead
  * Berryheart is now dead (she died on the journey back to the Clans, and Beenose fostered her kits)
  * Beenose had Sleekwhisker’s kits (sired by Nettle), Hopkit and Flaxkit (Sleekwhisker is trans). Sleekwhisker attempted to steal them, but through the conjoined effort of Rowanstar/claw, Tawnypelt, Violetshine, and Beenose, they killed both Sleekwhisker and Nettle and got the kits back
  * Dawnpelt had a second litter of kits with Crowfrost shortly after his death. She discovered she was expecting a little after he died. There were two kits in the litter, Flamekit and Duskkit, and they became warriors soon after ShadowClan regained its identity under Tawnystar
  * Dovewing is mates with Antfur, Cinnamontail, and Pinenose
  * Kestrelflight will get an apprentice soon. They’re also nonbinary and use they/them
  * Onestar died fighting the Dark Forest rather than Ashfoot, so she became leader. Ashstar died defending her Clan from Darktail before he was taken down by Needletail and Rain, who died in the process. Sedgewhisker was her deputy and was the mentor of Crouchfoot, and Heathertail became her deputy
  * Tawnyfur, who disappeared after the first arc, is back, and following Whitetail’s death is the oldest cat in WindClan
  * Tawnyfur is the mother of Leaftail and the grandmother of Sunstrike, Whiskernose, and Larkwing
  * Breezepelt prevented the Dark Forest from killing Boulderfur, his former apprentice
  * Furzepelt did not die in AVoS. Instead, Ashstar lost her eighth life and Weaselfur died
  * Sunstrike lives because I said so
  * The Larkwing introduced in AVoS has been renamed Lightwing and is the kit of Sedgestar and Emberfoot along with Fernstripe. Larkwing is not related to them, and Featherpelt was adopted after she was found abandoned on WindClan territory. In addition, the original Larkwing's appearance has been changed
  * Crouchfoot is a chimeric tom--black shorthair and ginger longhair--which is why he's not called a tortoiseshell
  * Heathertail has temporarily stepped down from the deputy position, as her kits are due any day now, and she will continue to step down from her position until her kits are weaned and can be left with another cat. She requested Breezepelt as her temporary stand-in. In the event that Sedgestar were to die before the kits are weaned, Heathertail would still become leader, her Moonpool trip would just be delayed and Breezepelt would be the temporary acting leader–he would get no additional lives nor become Breezestar
  * Breezepelt has actually shown a real change of heart
  * Gorsetail is genderfluid and uses any pronouns
  * Harespring is a trans molly who uses he/they
  * Kestrelflight, Heathertail, and Harespring are all siblings and the kits of Onestar and Whitetail
  * Reedwhisker was killed by the Kin. Mistystar barely named a deputy before she died of infected injuries from fighting them. Minnowtail was named her deputy and closed RiverClan’s borders for about a moon after the Kin were defeated. She could not receive her leader name until after they were defeated, and the Clan needed to recover
  * Mothwing is very close to retiring, and Willowshine is hoping to get an apprentice soon
  * Troutstream and Petalfur are alive now
  * Mintfur is now Mintpelt to avoid confusion with Mintfur of SkyClan
  * Beechfur died in the Dark Forest battle
  * Nettletooth and Copperfur (Nettlepaw and Copperpaw from Po3) died fighting the Kin with Shadefeather (Shadepelt II), Cypressfall (Cypresspaw), and Wavesplash (Wavepaw). Foxnose narrowly survived, and only escaped imprisonment because he appeared to be dead
  * Cypressfall and Wavesplash were adopted by Lizardtail and Lakeheart, and Gorseclaw, Harelight, Dappletuft, and Softpelt viewed them as older siblings
  * Reedwhisker is the father of Mintpelt, Graymist, and Rainstorm
  * Icewing was adopted into the Clan as a young apprentice. She was previously a loner. Similarly, Mallownose was adopted into the Clan and raised by Graymist
  * Duskfur is rumored to have had a fling with Smoky from the Horseplace, resulting in Curlfeather and Podlight. However, no one is sure because she will not name a father for them, and no one tries to question it because that’s her right as their mother
  * Minnowstar and Mousewhisker are still seeing each other, and have been mates since they started training in the Dark Forest together
  * Dewspots is trans and had Furzepelt and Boulderfur with Willowclaw
  * Rockshade and Tinycloud (and Bouncefire) are Clovertail's only kits by blood. Sandynose, Birdwing, and Honeytail were all adopted and raised together. Honeytail is actually Egg's younger sister, and Birdwing is Patchfoot's kit
  * Graystripe has so many mates. Firestar and Sandstorm and Ravenpaw and Silverstream and Millie and Mosspelt (although they broke things off when he got captured and haven't rekindled their relationship because of distance)
  * Macgyver is now deputy instead of Hawkwing, as he was a more experienced warrior and gave up a lot to stay with SkyClan (and… maybe because I want to have a short bit within the arc about how he’d still be Macgyver after receiving his nine lives)
  * Tree took on a warrior name as part of his journey to become the cat he wants to be, becoming Treewhisker
  * Pebbleshine was the only cat who was taken by Twolegs as SkyClan tried to find the Clans. Everyone else perished either by illness or by injuries
  * Pebbleshine’s father is actually Harveymoon (same goes for Parsleyseed), making her the half-sibling of Sunnypelt, Pigeonfoot, and Quailfeather. Harveymoon, Tinycloud, and Sparrowpelt were in a polyamorous relationship until Harveymoon decided to stay with his Twolegs. Parsleyseed almost joined him, and decided to go back with Curlypaw when they decided to become kittypets.
  * Clovertail and Petalnose are back
  * I let Firefern live because her name is too good. Rockshade is also alive
  * Creekfeather and Egg were killed by the Kin along with Stormheart, Sharpclaw, and Patchfoot
  * Harrybrook asked Leafstar to change his name to Echobrook after Echosong died. Leafstar, Billystorm, and Echosong were all in a polyamorous relationship, and he wanted to be named after his other mother
  * Fallowfern was initially still a warrior after she lost her hearing, but retired when SkyClan reached the other clans due to early-onset arthritis. Had it not been for that, she would still be a senior warrior. Her retirement happened shortly after Waspwhisker died from the same sickness that killed Rileypool
  * SkyClan allowed their medicine cats to take mates and have kits as long as there was a second fully-trained medicine cat available. Because of that, Creekfeather and Frecklewish became mates and had Mistfeather
  * Rabbitleap is nothing more than a sire for Bellaleaf’s kits. He’s aroace and offered because he heard she wanted kits with her mates Reedclaw and Echobrook, but didn’t want them to be half-siblings to Kitekit and Turtlekit (she feels weird about that since her kits will be considerably younger). She plans to name one after Rileypool
  * Honeytail lost her first litter of kits in the raccoon attack, and she barely survived herself. The kits weren’t even born when she lost them. Her kits were also sired by Rabbitleap, and her mate was Ebonyclaw. She is mates with Macgyver, but they’re hesitant about trying for kits (Macgyver joined the relationship after Rabbitleap sired the kits)
  * Clovertail, Petalnose, Patchfoot, Fallowfern, and Waspwhisker were in a polyamorous relationship prior to the Kin attack



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronoun sets:  
> She - She/her/hers/hers/herself  
> He - He/him/his/his/himself  
> They - They/them/their/theirs/themself  
> It - It/its/its/its/itself  
> Ce - Ce/cir/cirs/cirs/cirself  
> Ne - Ne/nym/nyr/nyrs/nymself  
> Xe - Xe/xem/xyr/xyrs/xemself  
> Fae - Fae/faer/faer/faers/faerself  
> Sie - Sie/hir/hir/hirs/hirself  
> Ze - Ze/zir/zir/zirs/zirself  
> Ae - Ae/aer/aer/aers/aerself  
> Ey - Ey/em/eir/eirs/emself
> 
> I headcanon that neopronouns existed since the start of the Clans, passed down through the generations. The start of the Clans were loners and rogues, many of whom were around people, so I figured they learned some of the alternative pronouns Twolegs use.


	2. Prologue

Squirrelpaw tasted the air. A soft breeze was spiraling into the sandy ravine, thick with the scents of moss and prey as it ruffled her thick ginger fur. Her paws prickled with excitement--to the point where she couldn’t stop shuffling them. Until today, she had only smelled the territory, but now she’d get to see it.  _ Hurry up, Dustpelt! _ she thought, tail flicking in her excitement. Her new mentor was lingering on the other side of the clearing, Firestar next to him, while Cinderpelt and Sandstorm were chatting idly next to them. Squirrelpaw huffed, turning towards her sister. “Couldn’t they have done their talking  _ before  _ the ceremony?” she asked. “I want to go explore the forest!”

“Me too!” Leafpaw replied, amber eyes bright and tabby fur fluffed with excitement. “Cinderpelt promised to show me where coltsfoot and burdock grow, and then when we come back, I get to make my first poultice!” Her tail was quivering with her excitement, despite trying to restrain herself a bit more. “Wasn’t the ceremony great? The whole Clan looked at us like we were already real warriors instead of just kits.”

“Because we’re  _ not  _ kits anymore!” Squirrelpaw remembered the shiver of pleasure she had when Firestar said her apprentice name for the first time. He’d looked so proud of her, and he looked the same when he said Leafpaw’s apprentice name. Unable to stay still, she began pacing in front of Leafpaw. “And soon enough, we’ll be a real warrior and a real medicine cat! I hope I don’t have to train for too long, though. I want to be a warrior by leaf-bare so I can lead patrols!” Her thoughts were racing now. “I wonder what my warrior name will be!”

“Slow down! You only  _ just  _ got your apprentice name,” Leafpaw mewed, nudging her sister with her muzzle.

“But everyone gets to be a ‘paw. I want a name that’s all my own!”

“I can call you Squirrelface if you’d like,” Leafpaw purred, giggling.

“Oh, very funny,” Squirrelpaw replied, though she also giggled. She glanced at her sister. “Do you think Firestar will name me Squirreltail? Because I hope not! I want my name to be something cool like Squirrelflame or Squirreldash!” Her thoughts continued speeding ahead. “But I won’t care what my warrior name is, as long as I get to be Squirrelstar one day!” She stopped her ramble and looked earnestly at Leafpaw. “Do you think I’ll be leader one day?”

Leafpaw whisked her tail, smiling. “Of course you will!”

Squirrelpaw felt another rush of pleasure. “I’ll be the leader and have kits of my own and we’ll all rule the whole forest!”

Leafpaw nodded eagerly. “And I’ll be the best medicine cat and share prophecies with StarClan every day, and together we’ll be the most powerful cats who ever lived!”

Squirrelpaw paused at her sister’s statement. “Did StarClan tell you that?” she mewed, hopeful that StarClan already foretold their destinies.

“No,” Leafpaw mewed sheepishly, glancing down at her paws, “but it’s obviously true!”

Across the clearing, Firestar turned away from Dustpelt, and Squirrelpaw’s heart leaped into her throat. “They’re done talking!” She looked eagerly towards her mentor, who was padding over to Cinderpelt. Disappointment dropped like a stone in her belly as they began talking. “What more do they have to talk about?”

While Squirrelpaw was focused on her mentor, though, she didn’t notice Firestar and Sandstorm heading across the clearing to them until Firestar mewed, “How does it feel to be apprentices, you two?”

Squirrelpaw whirled around, surprised, while Leafpaw hurried to meet them. “It feels great!” she mewed, purring.

“Do you feel different now that you’re ‘paws?” Sandstorm mewed, swishing her tail.

“Of course we do!” Leafpaw wove around her mother as Squirrelpaw bounded over to them. “Squirrelpaw is already hard at work planning her warrior name!”

Squirrelpaw fluffed out her pelt. “I’ve been planning it for moons already!” She looked up earnestly at Firestar, green eyes wide. “You won’t name me Squirreltail, right?”

“One step at a time,” Firestar purred, chuckling. His bright green eyes were shining with pride as he looked at his daughters. “First, you must finish your apprentice training.”

“That’ll be easy!” Squirrelpaw mewed, her fluffy tail quivering with excitement. “I bet I’ll be a warrior before Spiderpaw and Shrewpaw!”

Leafpaw frowned. “Maybe it’ll be easy for  _ you _ ,” she mewed, “since you don’t have to remember the name of every herb in the forest and their uses. Besides, Spiderpaw and Shrewpaw can’t be that far off from getting their own warrior names. I’m surprised they’re still apprentices--they were apprenticed before we were even  _ born _ !”

“Yeah, but I have to remember every prey-scent and paw print in the forest,” Squirrelpaw pointed out.

Sandstorm purred and blinked fondly at her daughters, cutting off their argument. “I know you’ll both make us proud.”

Squirrelpaw turned to face her mother, her fur suddenly spiking. “But… what if Leafpaw gets her medicine cat name before I get my warrior name?” she fretted. “That would be so embarrassing…”

“It won’t matter,” Firestar assured her, purring as well. “You two each have your own paths to tread.”

Sandstorm nodded before stretching her muzzle out to her daughters. She touched her nose first to Squirrelpaw’s, then to Leafpaw’s. “As long as you two have each other, you’ll both stand tall.”

Squirrelpaw’s fur prickled with happiness as she looked to her sister. “Leafpaw and I will always stick together!” she mewed. She meant it with every hair on her pelt.

Leafpaw twined her tail around Squirrelpaw’s, blinking warmly at her. “And we’ll always help each other,” she vowed. “Nothing will ever drive us apart.”

_ Not even death,  _ Squirrelpaw thought, purring.  _ No matter how far apart we are, we’ll always be together. _


	3. Chapter 1

Newleaf was just giving way to greenleaf, and the springy grass underpaw was a welcome relief from the rising heat. Ahead, a stream babbled as it flowed into the lake, and beyond it, the moors rose to meet the clear afternoon sky. Squirrelflight exited the cover of the trees, tasting the air as she approached the stream. The scent of heather was almost overwhelmingly sweet, as it was in full bloom.

Behind her, Bumblestripe, Plumstone, and Shellfur fanned out. Bumblestripe padded forward to meet Squirrelflight, but Plumstone and Shellfur were slower to follow.

“It’s quiet,” Plumstone murmured, fur bristling slightly. “Almost… too quiet.”

Shellfur, taking a couple steps forward, gazed out at the expanse of heather beyond the stream. “It’s perfect hunting weather,” he mewed brightly, padding up to his uncle Bumblestripe.

Plumstone still did not come forward, instead slowly looking around the patrol’s surroundings. “We’d best be on our guard then. Perfect hunting weather for us may mean it’s good hunting for other creatures.”

Squirrelflight nodded, knowing the young warrior was thinking of what happened to her sister only a moon ago. During their assessments, Eaglewing was attacked by a fox on a comfortably warm day like today. Neither she nor her mentor, Ambermoon, survived, and it was only thanks to the quick thinking of Shellfur and their brother Stemleaf that the fox was driven away. Plumstone, however, took Eaglewing’s death the hardest out of all her siblings. Their sister only got her warrior name because Bramblestar used the dying apprentice ceremony on her.  _ It’s good to remember, _ Squirrelflight thought,  _ that even the nicest of days can still hold danger. _

“We’ll still be on the lookout, Plumstone,” Bumblestripe replied, hoping his niece would relax. The tabby tom had matured considerably since his sister Briarlight had died helping cats escape when there was a rockslide in camp. No longer was he the pushy and impatient tom trying to convince his mate--first Dovewing, then Rosepetal--to have kits when they didn't want to. “Patrols don't just mean making sure the other Clans haven't crossed the border. We make sure predators stay away as well.”

Squirrelflight nodded, narrowing her eyes as she struggled to make out a dark shape near the top of the moor. As leader of the border patrol, she had promised Bramblestar to report back on WindClan. They had drawn the new borders just two moons ago to make room for SkyClan, and thus far the new scent markers were unchallenged. While everyone was happy with the peace, Bramblestar confided in Squirrelflight that he feared it was too good to be true.  _ Maybe the new borders aren't as good as we had hoped. _

“Is that a WindClan patrol?” Bumblestripe wondered, bringing Squirrelflight out of her thoughts. The dark shape had dipped beneath the heather, and another darted after it.

Squirrelflight nodded. “I think so.”

Narrowing her eyes, Plumstone added, “They’re heading away from here.”

“We'd better check the border,” Squirrelflight continued, “just to make sure they haven't crossed it.”

Shellfur bounded forward, sniffing the edge of the stream. Plumstone followed the stream’s bank, her pawsteps careful and her eyes warily watching for any weakness along the bank.

Squirrelflight flicked her tail towards the patches of prickly gorse beyond the stream. “The border’s over there now,” she reminded them.

“But the stream is where the forest ends,” Shellfur mewed. “It's an easier border to remember.”

“We have to get used to the new borders just like the other Clans do,” Squirrelflight mewed firmly. Then she realized something. “Have you two ever marked the new border?”

Plumstone shook her head. “Warriors like Thornclaw say it’s not worth it,” she replied. “He says ThunderClan doesn’t hunt on the moors, but in the forests like we always have.”

Surprised, Squirrelflight’s eyes widened. To be strong, a Clan must  _ adapt  _ to change, not ignore it. She and Bramblestar would have to speak to the senior warriors about this later--especially Thornclaw, it seemed. The tabby tom had always been more of a “traditionalist” warrior, but Squirrelflight remembered even he was willing to adapt when the Clans had to leave the forest many seasons ago.  _ Is this why the peace has lasted so long? Because the Clans haven’t been enforcing the new borders as much? _ She shook her head before padding down to the stream, hopping onto one of the stones jutting out of the water. “ThunderClan cats hunt on ThunderClan land, whatever that land is,” she called to the patrol. “We also mark all of our borders, just like the warrior code states.”

Squirrelflight leaped for the next stone, unsheathing her claws as her pads slipped on it. She breathed a sigh of relief once she got a grip, then continued until she reached the other side of the stream. The air tasted peaty here, thick with the scents of gorse and heather. She was surprised at how different it was only a few paces from the tree line, but realized the scents were carried by the brisk moor wind. It carried new scents to the land, unlike in the forest where scents tended to linger.

Behind her, Bumblestripe was already crossing the crossing stones, but Plumstone and Shellfur stared at them. It was clear Plumstone didn’t trust them, her eyes narrow, while Shellfur stayed back with his sister.

“Are you coming?” Squirrelflight mewed, her tail whisking impatiently. Bumblestripe had joined her on the moor, and Shellfur was slowly padding to the crossing stones, but Plumstone remained where she was. At this rate, they weren’t going to mark the border until sunset.

Shellfur leaped forward, barely reaching the first crossing stone as he gripped it with his claws. “Come on, Plumstone,” he mewed brightly, ears pricked, “we’ll be safe with Bumblestripe and Squirrelflight. Besides, we’ve never been on WindClan land before!”

“It’s  _ ThunderClan  _ land now,” Bumblestripe corrected his nephew gently. Squirrelflight nodded, but as she got a look at the stretch of moor, her heart sank. The land had clearly not been hunted on recently. The grass remained untrampled, and there was no prey-scent sweetening the air. Despite the lack of hunting on their new territory, though, ThunderClan hadn’t gone hungry since the storm ended and the new borders were set. Newleaf had been kind to them, with plenty of prey, but she knew it wouldn’t last. Leaf-bare would be upon them before they knew it, and all the prey would be driven underground. With a decent part of the forest belonging to SkyClan, ThunderClan would need every bit of precious hunting ground used.

Shellfur had joined Bumblestripe and Squirrelflight, while Plumstone slowly made her way to the crossing stones. “It smells like WindClan here,” the tortoiseshell tom mewed, nose in the air.

Squirrelflight sniffed again. There was a hint of WindClan scent, but it wasn’t fresh. “I think it’s the wind blowing their scent down from the high moor,” she told him. “Perhaps from the patrol we saw earlier.”

Plumstone, who had finally joined the rest of the patrol on the moor, gave the grass a sniff. “ _ Everything _ smells like WindClan here.” She narrowed her eyes again and looked warily around the moor.

“It was their land for many seasons,” Bumblestripe mewed. “Seasons before I was born, even. It’ll probably take a while for ThunderClan scent to take hold.”

Squirrelflight padded towards the line of gorse that marked the border. “It’ll take hold faster if we leave scent marks,” she added, rubbing her cheek against a branch. She winced as the prickles snagged her fur, but pushed on. She had to set an example for the rest of the patrol. Bumblestripe joined her soon after, padding the length of the border and leaving scent marks of his own along the way. Shellfur and Plumstone were slower to follow, but they eventually began to pluck at the grass, rubbing their scents into the earth.

“Where are the WindClan scent markers?” Shellfur asked, puzzled. “They don’t seem to have marked the border either.”

“Maybe they’ve been busy,” Squirrelflight replied. “Remember, Whitetail had just died recently, so her vigil was recent as well. By the time greenleaf is over, they’ll be more careful about their borders.”

Suddenly, Bumblestripe jerked his muzzle towards the forest, ears pricked with excitement. Plumstone stiffened as she followed his gaze, fur bristling.

“Rabbit!” Shellfur mewed excitedly, darting towards the stream as a fat buck emerged from the forest. Bumblestripe and Plumstone pelted after him, scrambling over the crossing stones and racing into the forest. The rabbit squealed in panic, trying to dart for cover, but Bumblestripe was fast. With a mighty leap, he crossed the stretch between the hunters and their prey and pinned the rabbit to the ground. With a swift bite, he killed it as Shellfur and Plumstone caught up to him.

Squirrelflight watched them as they took turns sniffing the fresh-kill, their pelts fluffed out in excitement.  _ They’re clearly happier hunting in the forest, _ she thought, rubbing her cheek on another branch before heading back towards the stream.  _ Bramblestar and I will have to enforce keeping the markers on this border fresh, too. If we don’t, WindClan might claim it as their own territory again. We need every bit of our territory used. _

* * *

“It won't  _ feel _ like a real Gathering,” Squirrelflight sighed, glancing up at the night sky as she padded alongside Bramblestar. “There's no full moon. In fact, there's hardly a moon at all!”

“It's not a real Gathering,” Bramblestar reminded her, his voice gentle. “Just a meeting of the leaders and deputies. The island just happens to be the most convenient place for all of us to meet.”

Beside the pair, the lake lapped sluggishly at the shore. The pebbles beneath Squirrelflight’s paws were still warm from the day’s heat, while a light breeze kept her from getting too warm. Casting an anxious glance towards the island, she could make out silhouettes moving across the tree bridge, but couldn’t make out their identities. Tasting the air didn’t provide any clues; all she could scent was the moor, reminding her of her earlier patrol. Did Sedgestar want to challenge the markers they’d set?  _ She shouldn’t, _ Squirrelflight thought.  _ She picked out the new border herself. _ “Why did Sedgestar and Minnowstar call the meeting?”

“Emberfoot didn’t say, and he didn’t hear anything from Shimmerpelt,” Bramblestar replied. After Squirrelflight’s patrol had returned, the tom had visited ThunderClan’s camp, saying the two leaders wanted to meet with the others plus their deputies. “He just said she wants to talk.”

Bramblestar moved closer to her, their flanks brushing. “Even without much of a moon, it’s very bright out tonight.” He glanced at her affectionately. “It’s nice to be alone, our path lit by starlight.”

Squirrelflight leaned against her mate. “I can’t remember the last time it was just us… every time we’ve gone out, Jessy’s been with us.”

Bramblestar paused for a moment at the mention of their other mate, before continuing, “Do you remember when this territory still felt new?”

She nodded, smiling. “You had only just been named deputy--and had received your first apprentice too.”

“But we still went out into the forest to explore after everyone else had fallen asleep.”

She purred, chuckling at the memories. “You were  _ terrible  _ at sneaking around. I’m surprised we never got caught.”

“Probably because I was the deputy,” Bramblestar whispered proudly.

Squirrelflight swatted gently at him. “More likely because our denmates were kind and pretended they never heard us. Even  _ Dustpelt _ , a stickler about a quiet warriors’ den, never said anything.” Happiness warmed her pelt as she remembered her old mentor. It had been many seasons since she had been his apprentice, and she hadn’t realized just how quickly time flew by. Suddenly, she recalled how she and Leafpool had planned great futures for themselves, and glanced shyly at her paws.  _ I guess we haven’t done so bad, _ she thought.

“Do you miss being young?” she asked suddenly, pressing closer to Bramblestar. She didn’t feel old yet, but she hadn’t felt the rush of excitement about going to Gatherings or being picked for a patrol in many moons. Sometimes, I wish I could go back to my days as a younger warrior.

Bramblestar shrugged. “I miss being irresponsible, at least a little,” he replied. “Back then, all we had to worry about was our next hunt. But then, I became deputy, and we had kits to look after, and now we’re the leader and deputy of ThunderClan.”

Squirrelflight felt a pang of longing at the mention of their kits. Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather may not have been theirs by blood, but they were still their kits. Eventually, they had their own blood litter that they loved as fiercely as their adopted kits. But Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Alderheart, and Sparkpelt were grown now, and Hollyleaf was in StarClan with the kits Squirrelflight hardly got to know, Juniperkit and Dandelionkit. She had wanted a second litter for many moons now--ever since Darktail had been defeated. “Having kits didn’t make me feel old,” she mewed. “I liked the responsibility. Sure, both litters were a pawful each, but I wouldn’t trade that time for anything. In fact, I’d love to feel that way again.” She glanced hopefully at Bramblestar, but he failed to comment. She tried to prompt him by adding, “Don’t you want to feel that way again too?”

“Of course,” he replied, but he didn’t look at Squirrelflight.

Anxiety prickled beneath her pelt. She wanted him to sound more enthusiastic about kits. “Why don’t we pretend we’re young again? It’s almost like we’re sneaking out of camp,” she mewed, voice light. “Half of our Clanmates are already in their nests, and everyone else will be asleep by the time we get back.”

“I wish we could,” Bramblestar replied--was that a sigh in his mew?--“but we can’t be late for this meeting. We have to go straight back to camp afterward, anyways; Birchfall and Lionblaze will be eager to hear how it went.”

Squirrelflight’s heart sank. While she was glad he was worrying about the Clan as a good leader should, she wished he would pay more attention to her as well. He had been like this every time she brought up kits. Every time, they’d be close, but immediately grow distant from each other--like they had when the true parentage of their first litter was revealed. She forced herself to push her disappointment aside and brought the conversation’s focus back to the meeting. “Surely it can’t be anything that serious. Everything’s been peaceful since the storm, and it feels normal to have SkyClan by the lake now. I haven’t heard any complaints about the borders from the other Clans, either.”

“Then why call a meeting?” Bramblestar mewed.

“Maybe there’s sickness in WindClan or RiverClan, or there’s Twoleg trouble.”

“It’s pointless to guess,” he replied, shaking his head. “Let’s go find out.” Bramblestar quickened his pace, breaking into a run as they neared the island. Squirrelflight hurried after him, casting a glance at the starlit water below the tree-bridge, the moon like a claw on the water. Pebbles crunched on the shore behind her, and she turned to see Minnowstar and Lizardtail of RiverClan standing there. She nodded a greeting to them, and Lizardtail nodded back before he and Minnowstar plunged into the water, swimming the short stretch of lake to the island.

On the far shore, Bramblestar was already pushing through the tall grass to the clearing. Fresh scents lingered on the grass, telling Squirrelflight that WindClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan were already there. With Minnowstar not far behind her, she followed Bramblestar into the clearing.

As she entered the clearing, she was surprised to see none of the leaders were on the Great Oak as they normally were. Rather, Sedgestar, Tawnystar, and Leafstar took residence in a small patch of shorter grass in the center of the island. Nearby, the deputies sat, Strikestone and Macgyver watching the island, while Heathertail was nowhere in sight. Instead, Breezepelt sat with the two toms, shuffling his paws awkwardly.  _ Had something happened to Heathertail? _ she thought.  _ Sedgestar mentioned she was expecting kits at the last Gathering. Has she had the kits already? _

Bramblestar had already taken his place with the other leaders, Minnowstar joining them shortly after, while Squirrelflight and Lizardtail joined the other deputies and Breezepelt. The quiet stillness of the island was foreign to them, and Squirrelflight shivered despite the warm air. She was used to the clearing being full of warriors and apprentices, mingling as scents mixed throughout the air as elders would share stories.

Breezepelt murmured, “I figure everyone is wondering why I’m here. Heathertail is due any day now, so Sedgestar is refusing to let her do more than sort patrols. She appointed me to stand in for her

Minnowstar began to speak, leaving Squirrelflight to only give Breezepelt a quick nod of understanding. “Thank you all for coming,” the dappled molly mewed.

Squirrelflight searched their eyes, but neither molly’s gaze gave anything away. However, Leafstar and Tawnystar both seemed tense, which made her wary. Did the others know what this meeting is about?

Sedgestar picked up where Minnowstar left off. “We called you here because there are problems with the new borders.”

Surprise lit the gazes of the other three leaders. “Problems?” Leafstar mewed. “We haven’t had any problems in our territory after the storm.”

“Neither have we,” Tawnystar added, her green eyes confused. “In fact, we’ve been teaching our apprentices how to hunt in the marshes better, like we used to.”

“We may not be the most adapted to our strip of moorland,” Bramblestar mewed, “but it has only been two moons. We will adapt by leaf-bare.”

“But you’re still used to the border being at the stream,” Sedgestar mewed pointedly. “Two moons has been more than enough time to realize the issues with the new borders. They may not be bothering you right now, but they’re causing us issues.”

“We lost one of our best fishing streams to ShadowClan when we redefined that border,” Minnowstar added. “Havenpelt just kitted just a few sunrises ago, and we need to make sure we’ll be able to supply enough prey for her and our other queens, especially come leaf-bare.”

“You aren’t the only Clan with new kits, though,” Leafstar replied sharply. “Reedclaw gave birth three moons ago, Violetshine almost a half-moon ago, and Bellaleaf is expecting.”

“But Heathertail is due any day now, and Featherpelt within the next moon or two,” Sedgestar remarked, “and part of our territory is marshland unsuitable for our hunting methods. What isn’t marshland is taken by the Horseplace and their Twoleg nests. The way we remade the borders to make room for SkyClan isn’t working anymore.”

“Are you trying to suggest we leave?” Leafstar hissed, fur beginning to bristle. Squirrelflight gulped. Sedgestar and Minnowstar wouldn’t make them leave, would they? Not after StarClan said they belonged with the other four Clans.

“Of course not, Leafstar,” Minnowstar replied, her voice even and calm. “StarClan brought you here, so we’re not going to turn you away. But we need to figure out a better arrangement of territory so all five Clans can thrive.”

Suddenly, Squirrelflight had an idea. “Why don’t we check out the territory beyond the abandoned Twolegplace?” she suggested. “Maybe it’ll be suitable hunting grounds for SkyClan, so we can shift the borders closer to what they were before.”

Leafstar turned to Squirrelflight, her amber gaze narrowed and sharp. “So you’re trying to make us move again, even though you claim we have to stay by the lake.”

“You wouldn’t have to move your camp, Leafstar,” Squirrelflight added. “SkyClan’s borders would encompass a narrower territory that extends upward--and that’s only if we find out the territory is suitable.”

“It’s a good idea,” Tawnystar added. “And if it doesn’t work out, maybe some of us can look beyond our own territories and narrow what we have.”

Leafstar’s eyes were still narrow, tail flicking, until Macgyver spoke up. “I think it’s at least worth a look,” he mewed. “In fact, maybe all of us should go look beyond the territories a bit and see if we can expand that way.”

Sedgestar nodded. “I’m willing to send out a patrol at dawn to scout out beyond our hills.”

Tawnystar nodded as well, and Squirrelflight looked to Bramblestar for his opinion. He had been silent during the argument, and she hoped her idea hadn’t upset him. Finally, he nodded. “It’s worth a look, although I’d like to wait at least until sunhigh tomorrow. ThunderClan has other matters it must attend to.”

“Regardless of what happens,” Minnowstar mewed, “we will all help SkyClan if they choose to shift their territory, and will do the same if any other Clan does.”

Leafstar still didn’t seem to believe the other cats, but she finally sighed. “Fine, we will check out the territory in the next few days.”

“I’m willing to go with you, since it was my idea,” Squirrelflight added. “Anytime after sunhigh tomorrow, I’ll come with a small patrol and check out the territory with you.”

“Very well,” Leafstar mewed. “If that’s all we had to discuss, then I believe we’re finished here.” She beckoned Macgyver with her tail and headed toward the tree-bridge. Tawnystar and Strikestone quickly followed, and soon the other leaders were leaving the island with their deputies.

When they reached the shore, Squirrelflight darted in front of Bramblestar, blinking eagerly. She had kept the leaders from fighting, but she couldn’t tell what he thought about it.

“That was a good plan,” he mewed finally, his expression still unreadable. He pushed past her, flicking his tail. “Come on, we should get back to camp. I have plenty of ceremonies to perform tomorrow, and I’d like to be rested up for them.”

“We still need to make sure our warriors follow the current borders while they’re set,” she mewed. “Plumstone and Shellfur hadn’t even crossed the stream before my patrol today.”

“But if your plan works out, we won’t have to worry about that.”

“Still, with Sorrelstripe’s new kits, and more on the way soon enough, we’ll have to make sure we can hunt on and use all of our territory,” Squirrelflight added.

Bramblestar stiffened at the mention of kits. “What do you mean more on the way soon enough?”

“I want more kits, Bramblestar.”

That stopped the tabby tom in his tracks. “We’ve already raised two litters, Squirrelflight.”

“But they’re all fully grown now,” she replied. “They don’t need us as much anymore. I want to be able to care for little ones again before I can’t have kits at all anymore.”

Bramblestar sighed. “I know, but our first litter wasn’t ours by blood because we had too much trouble, and two of the kits in our second litter didn’t even make it out of the nursery. One of them died shortly after he took his first breath. I’m… I’m scared that if you have another litter, they might not make it, or…” he trailed off, but Squirrelflight got the message.  _ That I might not make it. _

“We can always ask Jessy to carry them when she comes back in leaf-bare,” Squirrelflight suggested.

“We don’t even know if she’s alive after the storm,” Bramblestar replied, shoulders dropping. “For all we know, she drowned in the flooding right after she left.”

Squirrelflight’s tail drooped. “I just… you still have two lives left, while I have just my one. Jessy’s scrappy enough to survive a storm on her own, so I have no doubt she’s still alive. I’m just scared you and Jessy will move on without me when I die.”

Bramblestar’s amber eyes softened, shimmering with sympathy. “I’m sorry,” he mewed, pressing his muzzle into her cheek. “I promise we won’t forget you. And… if it’ll make you feel better, let’s ask Jessy if she’d be willing to carry kits for us to raise.”

Squirrelflight looked up at her mate in disbelief. “You’d really do that?” she mewed, her voice wavering some.

Bramblestar nodded. “If it means you can be happy raising a litter that doesn’t put your life at risk, then I’m willing to do what I can.”

“But I want you to want them too.”

“And I do,” he replied, “just not without possibly losing you or the litter.”

The rest of their trip back to camp was quiet. When they finally reached the ravine, they were greeted by Larksong, who was guarding the camp. He nodded to them before asking, “How was the meeting? What did Sedgestar and Minnowstar want?”

“It was about territory issues,” Bramblestar told the black molly, his voice heavy as he pushed through the thorn tunnel. “Squirrelflight and some other cats plan to check out the territory beyond the abandoned Twolegplace tomorrow to see if it might be suitable for SkyClan.” Squirrelflight beckoned for Larksong to follow him through the tunnel before she followed him in. Waiting in the clearing were Birchfall and Lionblaze, as they had when they left for the meeting.

While the three warriors clustered around Bramblestar, asking for details from the meeting, Squirrelflight felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. She slowly padded over to join her mate and oldest son, resting her head on Bramblestar’s shoulder. Lionblaze met his mother’s gaze, amber eyes round with worry. “You okay, Squirrelflight?” he mewed.

Squirrelflight nodded. “I’m just tired,” she replied, deciding not to mention her issue about kits. “Not as young and energetic as I used to be, that’s all.”

As Bramblestar finished his report, Birchfall took up the guard position in Larksong’s place while he and Lionblaze headed off to the warriors’ den for some well-deserved rest. Squirrelflight watched her son duck into the den, weaving himself around the birch branches, and found herself longing to join him.

“I think I’ll sleep in the warriors’ den tonight,” she mewed quietly. “I want to be with my kits.”

Bramblestar nodded. “I understand. Whatever makes you happy.”

Quietly, the two separated. Squirrelflight located her old nest in the den, tucked between Lionblaze and Sparkpelt. As she curled up, surrounded by their scents, her heart lightened some.  _ Even if they’re grown, I’m still their mother, she thought, _ drifting off into sleep.


	4. Chapter 2

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

Bramblestar’s call rang through the camp, forcing Squirrelflight to turn away from her conversation with the elders. As she made her way to the gathering crowd, she spotted Fernsong exiting the nursery with his kits. Though she knew the tom was dutiful in grooming the kits, Bristlekit’s fur still stuck up at odd angles. Once settled in front of the Highledge, Fernsong did his best to smooth his daughter’s fur, much to her displeasure. Her siblings, Thriftkit and Twirlkit, simply giggled as their mother Ivypool joined them.

Snappaw, Spotpaw, and Flypaw soon joined their older brother by the Highledge. Though they all kept themselves composed, Squirrelflight could tell they were excited about their warrior ceremonies. Their mentors Finleap, Honeyfur, and Twigshade sat just behind them. Squirrelflight also spotted Rosepetal, Toadstep, and Poppyfrost sitting near the front, and wondered if they were going to mentor the soon-to-be apprentices.

“Cats of ThunderClan,” Bramblestar began, “today I get to perform my favorite duty as leader. Bristlekit, Thriftkit, and Twirlkit have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for them to be apprenticed.”

He looked down at the kits, smiling. “Bristlekit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bristlepaw. Your mentor will be Rosepetal, who I hope will pass down her patience to you.”

He turned to face Rosepetal. “Rosepetal, you are ready for another apprentice. You received excellent mentoring from Squirrelflight, and you’ve proven yourself to be calm, with exceptional patience. I expect you to pass on all you know to Bristlepaw, just as you did to Molewhisker and Larksong.”

As Rosepetal and Bristlepaw touched noses, Bramblestar continued, “Thriftkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Thriftpaw. Your mentor will be Toadstep. I hope he will pass down his energy and curiosity to you.”

Turning to Toadstep, he continued, “Toadstep, you are ready for your first apprentice. You received excellent mentoring from Cloudtail, and your energy has aided ThunderClan many times. I expect you to pass on all you know to Thriftpaw.”

Thriftpaw and Toadstep touched noses, the black and white tom hardly able to keep still. _It’s about time he got an apprentice,_ Squirrelflight thought. _He should be able to help Thriftpaw come out of her shell, too._

“Twirlkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Twirlpaw,” Bramblestar continued. “Your mentor will be Poppyfrost. I hope she will pass down her initiative and caring nature to you.”

He turned to Poppyfrost, who held herself up with pride next to her mate Hazeltail. “Poppyfrost, you are ready for another apprentice. You received excellent mentoring from Thornclaw, and you’ve proven your courage time and time again. I expect you to pass on all you know to Twirlpaw, just as you did to Lilyheart.”

The clearing erupted into cheers as Poppyfrost and Twirlpaw touched noses. “Bristlepaw! Thriftpaw! Twirlpaw!” Squirrelflight cheered, looking warmly at the new apprentices. Bristlepaw and Twirlpaw both stood tall, while Thriftpaw, despite shrinking down, was beaming. She had always been the more modest of her siblings, and a bit shy as well. The crowd cheering was a lot for her to handle.

“Not only do we have new apprentices,” Bramblestar mewed as the cheering died down, “but we have three apprentices who are ready to become warriors. Finleap, Honeyfur, Twigshade, have your apprentices learned the skills of a warrior? Do they understand the importance of the warrior code?”

“Snappaw has,” Finleap replied.

“As has Spotpaw,” Honeyfur added.

“And Flypaw as well,” finished Twigshade.

Bramblestar smiled. “I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Snappaw, Spotpaw, and Flypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do!” the three apprentices mewed in unison.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Snappaw, from this moment you will be known as Snaptooth. StarClan honors your creativity and fortitude. Spotpaw, from this moment you will be known as Spotfur. StarClan honors your thoughtfulness and loyalty. Flypaw, from this moment you will be known as Flywhisker. StarClan honors your energy and resourcefulness. We welcome the three of you as full warriors of ThunderClan.”

Squirrelflight immediately started up the cheers again. “Snaptooth! Spotfur! Flywhisker!” She couldn’t be more proud of her grandkits, and purred as she saw Lionblaze and Cinderheart congratulating their kits. _Wouldn’t surprise me if they’re giving their kits tips for the vigil,_ she thought, moving towards the elders’ den again. “Where were we, again?” she asked Brackenfur.

“The roof. It’s going to need repairing before leaf-bare,” he mewed. “Come in and see.”

Squirrelflight obliged, following the tabby into the den. It was a lot brighter than she expected, and when she looked up, she spotted numerous holes in the roof. Sunshine streamed through them, dazzling her. “I’ll organize a patrol to fix it,” she promised, recalling how Dustpelt used to take initiative on den repairs while she blinked spots out of her eyes from the light.

“It’s not urgent,” he mewed. “We just need it taken care of before greenleaf ends.”

Graystripe perked up at the conversation. “Are you going to patch up the roof?”

“Of course,” Squirrelflight replied. “Can’t have your den being drafty, especially when leaf-bare comes.”

“She’s going to patch it up!” Graystripe called over to Millie, who was sunning herself just outside the den with Brightheart and Cloudtail.

“She’s going to what?” Millie croaked in reply. The old molly was growing increasingly deaf in her old age.

“Patch it up!” Graystripe yowled.

“Who with?” Millie sounded confused. “Has she been quarreling again?”

Squirrelflight tensed up. Did the Clan think she and Bramblestar had fought because she slept in the warriors’ den last night?

“The roof!” Graystripe rolled his eyes, slowly getting to his paws and moving outside to join his mate. “Sorry about that,” he replied before exiting the den.

Brackenfur cleared his throat, tail twitching. “When will the work start?” He was still staring up at the roof.

Squirrelflight blinked at him, thinking. “Let’s see, the new apprentices will probably be touring the territory today, so I’ll ask Rosepetal and Toadstep if they can start work on it tomorrow with Bristlepaw and Thriftpaw.”

“Thank you,” Brackenfur replied, padding over to his nest and settling in it. “We know we have a few moons to go before leaf-fall, and the sunshine is welcome, but Cloudtail worries about Brightheart getting cold."

“We’ll make sure to pad all the walls as well,” Squirrelflight promised. “Once leaf-bare comes, it’ll be just as warm as it is now.”

She ducked back outside, nodding to Graystripe and Millie, and glanced around camp. Bramblestar was still on the Highledge, sunning himself in the mid-morning sun, and Thornclaw had joined him. He and Squirrelflight had talked to him and the other senior warriors yesterday before the meeting, and they had promised to at least try to adapt to the moorland like the rest of the Clan. Squirrelflight still wasn’t sure how willing Thornclaw was to adapt, but trusted he would follow the example of the other senior warriors. At least Whitewing and Birchfall were willing, even offering to lead a hunting patrol that way.

Speaking of patrols, she spotted Poppyfrost, Rosepetal, and Toadstep heading out of camp with their new apprentices, the three of them bouncing around with excitement. Jayfeather and Alderheart were heading out as well, Jayfeather leading the way as usual despite his blindness. Hollytuft was nosing eagerly through the fresh-kill pile, probably looking for something to share with her sister Sorrelstripe, who had just emerged from the nursery. Sorrelstripe’s kits, Baykit and Myrtlekit, toddled after her, before being stopped by Daisy. At barely half a moon old, they couldn’t join their mother and uncle in sharing prey, and Daisy was probably watching them to keep them from getting underpaw.

A pang of grief tore at Squirrelflight’s heart as she watched the kits. _I should be in the nursery with my own kits,_ she thought. Her thoughts drifted back to her previous times in the nursery, remembering the fierce love she felt for both of her litters. Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather may not have been her kits by birth, but she loved them the same as she loved Alderheart, Sparkpelt, Juniperkit, and Dandelionkit. _I hope Hollyleaf is looking out for her little siblings in StarClan._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion at the camp entrance. Mousewhisker’s hunting patrol had just returned, and the gray and white tom was carrying the long body of a weasel with the help of Cherryfall and Stemleaf. The final member of their patrol, Lilyheart, was padding quickly towards the medicine den, and Leafpool soon emerged. Upon closer inspection, Squirrelflight noticed Mousewhisker was covered in bites, some of which were still oozing blood. _I better figure out what happened,_ she thought, padding towards the fresh-kill pile as Cherryfall and Stemleaf laid the weasel on it. “What happened?”

“Mousewhisker was attacked by this weasel while we were hunting,” Cherryfall replied. “We had to end the patrol early because he was injured. You can ask him for more details, since we split up. I’m thinking of leading the patrol out again, since we didn’t get much hunting done.”

Squirrelflight nodded. “Good idea,” she replied. “Why don’t you check over by the WindClan border?”

The ginger molly nodded, flicking her tail towards Stemleaf. As they left to get Lilyheart, Squirrelflight headed towards the medicine den to check on Mousewhisker. Cool shadows swathed the wide stretch of earth, a welcome relief from the day’s heat. Herb scents filled the air, stronger now that Leafpool was chewing some into a poultice. Mousewhisker laid stiffly in a nest in the middle of the den, some of his injuries covered in smears of poultice and cobwebs. As Squirrelflight entered, Leafpool looked up at her sister, blinking warmly. “Well, hello.”

Squirrelflight nodded to her sister, padding up to Mousewhisker. “Cherryfall told me you were attacked,” she mewed. “Are you badly hurt?”

Mousewhisker shook his head. “It’s just a few bites, and Leafpool’s taking good care of them.”

Leafpool purred. “I’m glad you think so highly of me,” she replied. “Some of them are pretty deep, but I’ve cleaned them well and I’ll put plenty of herbs on them. He should heal pretty quickly.” She gave the gray and white tom another look-over. “But if you have any fever, or the pain prevents you from sleeping, you need to come straight to me, Jayfeather, or Alderheart.”

Mousewhisker nodded, grunting in pain as Leafpool applied her poultice to a particularly deep-looking bite.

“Where’d you catch the weasel?” Squirrelflight asked once he had settled a bit. Weasels were rare in ThunderClan--the only thing Squirrelflight had seen resembling them were the stoats that lived in the tunnels, but that was seasons ago.

“Over by the stream,” he replied.

“Did you catch it on the moorland?” Squirrelflight asked. She hoped he had--ThunderClan needed all of their territory to be used.

To her disappointment, Mousewhisker shook his head. “That’s WindClan territory,” he replied. “I’m not about to go trespass for prey that attacked me.”

Squirrelflight sighed. “No, the strip of moorland from the stream to the line of gorse is our territory now, remember?”

Mousewhisker blinked at her. “Oh, yeah,” he replied, resting his head on his paws. “I’m still not used to that being our territory.”

 _It’s been two moons,_ she thought. _More cats should be used to the new border by now._ She thought back to what Plumstone said on patrol yesterday. _Are there more warriors than Thornclaw convincing the Clan that we shouldn’t do anything with our new moor territory?_

Leafpool broke the silence finally. “Alright, all of your wounds have been treated, and you aren’t wounded enough to justify keeping you here,” she mewed. Mousewhisker nodded at her, rising to his paws slowly. He was visibly wincing as he rose to his full height, but held himself up without much issue.

“Wait,” Squirrelflight mewed before Mousewhisker left the medicine den, “have you been by the abandoned Twolegplace lately? Have you scented anything beyond there?”

Mousewhisker stopped, ears flicking as he thought. “I did pass by there the other day on patrol,” he replied. “I didn’t pay much attention to any scents beyond there, but I think I smelled some unfamiliar cats past there. I didn’t bother reporting it, though, because none of the scents crossed our border, and they were pretty stale as is.”

Squirrelflight nodded. “That’s all I needed, thank you.”

Mousewhisker dipped his head a final time to the sisters before ducking out of the medicine den. Leafpool turned to her sister once they were alone. “How was the meeting last night?”

Squirrelflight sighed. “WindClan and RiverClan haven’t been taking the border changes as well as we would’ve liked. I suggested checking out the land beyond the abandoned Twolegplace, maybe for SkyClan to extend their territory upward, or maybe for us to use instead. Leafstar didn’t take the suggestion too well, though. She thinks we’re trying to make SkyClan leave again.”

Leafpool blinked, brushing against Squirrelflight. “That is a pretty reasonable conclusion for her to come to, unfortunately,” she mewed. “SkyClan as a whole has been chased from their own territories more than the other four Clans. We were only chased out of the forest because of Twolegs, but SkyClan was chased out of their territories by the threat of Darktail, by unsuitable living conditions, and more recently they felt like ShadowClan was trying to chase them out and that we supported them.”

“But I’m not trying to make them leave--I’m not even trying to make them leave their current camp!” Squirrelflight replied, tail swishing. “All I was thinking is maybe they narrow their territory a little bit, so they still have access to the lake and hunting territory they’re familiar with, but extend their hunting grounds upwards if the territory beyond the abandoned Twolegplace is good.”

“And your idea is a good one,” Leafpool added, “but Leafstar has been forced to lead her Clan through a lot. She probably thinks that by narrowing her own territory, it will leave SkyClan more vulnerable to ShadowClan and us.”

“I… hadn’t thought about that,” Squirrelflight mewed. “No wonder Leafstar reacted with hostility.”

Leafpool brushed her tail along her sister’s flank. “I still think looking at the territory is a good idea--for both ThunderClan and SkyClan.”

“Did StarClan tell you something about it?” Squirrelflight asked, meeting her sister’s eyes.

Leafpool’s shoulders drooped at the question, and she shook her head. “No, they’ve been quiet ever since the storm,” she replied. “They hardly even speak to us at the Moonpool, and I haven’t had any dreams with them except when I’m there.”

Squirrelflight hummed in response. “Maybe that means they aren’t opposed to checking out the new territory. Leafstar was willing to at least give it a look, after all. I’ll take a ThunderClan patrol to her and we’ll check it out together!”

“Wouldn’t hurt to try,” Leafpool replied. After a moment, she continued, “Is something else bothering you, Squirrelflight? I noticed you slept in the warriors’ den last night.”

Squirrelflight stiffened at the question. Was it that obvious she was hurting? Did it look like she was upset at Bramblestar? “I just… I really want to raise kits again,” she replied finally, “but Bramblestar is worried about the idea.”

“I can’t say I blame him,” Leafpool mewed. “We’re not exactly young anymore, and you lost two kits very soon after kitting.”

Squirrelflight nodded, sighing. “He’s scared he’ll lose me if we have more,” she added. “I tried to suggest maybe having Jessy carry for us, but he’s not sure she survived the storm.”

“Considering we lost Leafshade in the storm and almost lost Sorrelstripe, it’s a reasonable fear.”

Squirrelflight sighed again. “I just… I really want to have another litter before it’s too late. Bramblestar promises he and Jessy won’t move on without me, but I’m still scared that they will if we don’t have younger kin. And… I miss being in the nursery caring for little ones. I didn’t think I’d like it until I took in your kits… my first litter.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “I slept in the warriors’ den last night because I wanted to be with my kits again. I wanted to be with Lionblaze and Sparkpelt.”

Leafpool pressed against her sister once again. “I understand,” she whispered. “I wish I had gotten to raise my kits, but I don’t regret giving them to you.” She purred, adding, “You’re a good mother, Squirrelflight. If Jayfeather and Alderheart were in here, I’m sure they’d agree.”

Squirrelflight purred back, her sister’s words giving her much needed comfort. “Thanks, Leafpool,” she mewed, closing her eyes. We can afford to let ourselves have a moment, she thought.

The moment didn’t last as long as either sister wanted, however, as Larksong poked his head into the den. “Squirrelflight,” he mewed, paws shuffling, “it’s almost sunhigh. Shouldn’t your patrol be heading to SkyClan to check out the new territory?”

Squirrelflight’s eyes snapped open as she scrambled to her paws. “Yes, you’re right, Larksong,” she mewed, trying to get her bearings back. As Leafpool backed away, she faced the black molly. “Grab Sparkpelt and meet me by the thorn tunnel. I’m going to let Bramblestar know where we’re going.”

Larksong nodded, retreating from the den to find his mate, while Squirrelflight followed him soon after. She made a beeline for the Highledge, where Bramblestar was still sunning himself with Thornclaw. Bramblestar lifted his head as she approached, blinking kindly at his mate.

“I’m taking Sparkpelt and Larksong on a patrol with me to SkyClan,” she mewed. “We’re going to check out the territory.”

Bramblestar nodded. “Stay safe,” he mewed, letting Squirrelflight rest her chin on his head while they purred. “I hope the territory is suitable for someone to use.”

Squirrelflight nodded, backing away from Bramblestar and joining the rest of her patrol at the thorn tunnel. _I hope it’s good enough to prevent issues between the other Clans,_ she thought as she led them out of the tunnel, Sparkpelt and Larksong close behind as they headed towards the SkyClan border.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a really hard time writing this chapter. The second half just... didn't want to come together.
> 
> Toadstep deserved better. Poppyfrost deserves to have some positive attention again. Also I can't really show it here, but Toadstep is a good dad and a supportive mate to Blossomfall. I'm trying to give the background characters some more personality.
> 
> Also reminder that while Hollytuft and Lilyheart use she/her and Larksong uses he/him, they're both trans (Holly and Lily are trans toms, Lark is a trans molly) and are referred to as the correct gender. Pronouns are not inherently gendered. There will be a few more cats like this throughout the book and eventually the arc.
> 
> Also, Sorrelstripe never named a sire for her kits because I'm going back to the idea that queens don't have to reveal their kits' sire. They will have a second parent by the end of this book, though... but I won't reveal who.


	5. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squirrelflight leads her patrol to SkyClan, where Leafstar is a bit less than friendly.

“Why are we waiting at the border?” Sparkpelt asked, standing a little ways behind Squirrelflight. Beside her stood Larksong, his fluffy black tail intertwined with hers. “You’re the deputy, we’re on good terms with SkyClan, and we know where their camp is because we helped them rebuild.”

Squirrelflight flicked her tail at her daughter. “We’re waiting because it’s the polite thing to do,” she replied, sitting down. “We’ll look much less threatening that way. SkyClan is probably pretty touchy after the meeting last night where the other Clans implied they had to move again, so we shouldn’t try to anger them more.”

Larksong nodded in understanding. “Besides, it’s sunhigh,” he added. “There’s bound to be a patrol here soon. Our own border patrol passed by not too long ago.”

“I guess,” Sparkpelt grumbled, taking a seat and leaning on her mate’s shoulder. “Hard to tell, though, with all those clouds.”

Squirrelflight silently agreed, not too fond of the change in weather. It was still hot, but now the dry air had turned humid, and thick clouds had rolled in, heavy with rain. As the first drops began to fall, her ears twitched as she heard a patrol approaching. With another flick of her tail, she alerted Sparkpelt and Larksong as the ferns began to rustle.

Black and white fur flashed through the fronds as a cat mewed, “I smell ThunderClan.”

“Are you sure it’s not just their scent markers?” another cat asked. “It’s sunhigh, they probably just refreshed them.”

“No,” the first cat replied, looking back as they pushed through the ferns, “there are cats here.” They turned around and yelped in surprise as they came nose to nose with Squirrelflight. She recognized her as Palesky, one of the younger warriors of SkyClan.

“What is it, Palesky?” the other cat asked, rushing to her side. Squirrelflight quickly recognized him as Quailfeather, another young warrior.

“My apologies for the scare,” Squirrelflight mewed, “but we need to speak to Leafstar.” Casting a glance back at Sparkpelt and Larksong, she quickly added, “We mean no harm.”

“I believe you,” a third voice mewed, and the ferns parted again to reveal Treewhisker.

Palesky narrowed her eyes, and Quailfeather’s fur bristled as much as it could in the rain, but ultimately they both nodded and beckoned for the patrol to follow them. Perks of being a Clan deputy, Squirrelflight thought. She trailed a bit behind the SkyClan patrol, Sparkpelt and Larksong a bit behind her. Treewhisker padded next to her.

“Twigshade told me about Violetshine and the kits. How are they doing?” Squirrelflight mewed, trying to make the trip to camp less awkward. The gray molly had begged to visit her sister when she heard about the kits at the last Gathering, and both Bramblestar and Leafstar allowed her to do so.  _ I’m glad they still have a strong bond across Clans. They remind me of Leafpool and me, and how even when we were separated, we were still close. _

Treewhisker’s amber eyes brightened. “Rootkit and Needlekit are doing wonderful!” he replied. “They're growing so fast, and Violetshine is taking good care of them when I can't be around. I wouldn't trade them for anything!”

Squirrelflight purred, but was reminded again of her longing to be a mother again.  _ Even with Juniperkit and Dandelionkit’s deaths, I was so happy to have Alderheart and Sparkpelt, _ she thought.  _ I want that again so badly… _ “Twigshade wouldn’t stop talking about them for days. She can’t wait to see them again at their first Gathering.”

“And Violetshine’s excited to show them off already!” he purred, eyes shining.

The rain was coming down harder when the combined patrol reached SkyClan’s camp, drumming on the canopy of leaves and soaking the six cats. Squirrelflight heard Sparkpelt hiss behind her, and a glance back let her see Larksong comforting his mate. As the camp wall came in sight, Palesky hurried forward through the entrance tunnel. “Quailfeather, Treewhisker, lead them inside the camp, but keep an eye on them,” she called over her shoulder. “I’m going to tell Leafstar.”

“Make sure she knows I only want to speak with her!” Squirrelflight called, hoping the black and white molly heard her.

“What do you want to speak with her about?” Treewhisker asked, tilting his head slightly.

“And why do you need a whole patrol just to talk to Leafstar?” Quailfeather added, blue eyes wide with curiosity.

“You’ll hear about it when Leafstar wants you to hear,” Squirrelflight replied, chin high.

Treewhisker shrugged. “Fair enough,” he replied. “Must be important leader stuff.”

“If it was leader stuff, why isn’t Bramblestar here himself?” Quailfeather mewed as he led the patrol through the tunnel.

“That’s none of your business,” Sparkpelt replied sharply, before Squirrelflight lifted her tail to quiet her.

Violetshine and Reedclaw looked up from the mouse they were sharing as the cats entered camp. Neither of them seemed to mind the rain dripping off their ears, though the same could not be said for Bellaleaf. The pale queen was sheltering in the nursery entrance, lapping rainwater off her swollen belly. Honeytail sat next to her, gently washing the younger queen’s ears. Around the edges of camp, four kits were splashing noisily in the puddles forming from the rain. None of them looked older than three moons old, but two seemed far younger than that.

When Treewhisker was in full view, two of the kits--a black and white kit and a golden kit--stopped splashing and ran towards him. “Treewhisker!” the black and white kit mewed excitedly, leaping onto his back.

Squirrelflight carefully moved out of the way of the second kit, who weaved between Treewhisker’s legs eagerly. “So these are your kits?” she mewed, smiling.

Treewhisker nodded, gently cuffing the golden kit with a smile on his face. “This one’s Rootkit,” he mewed, then turned to face the kit on his back, “and this one’s Needlekit.”

“Can you play with us now?” Needlekit mewed as Treewhisker lifted her off his back. She stared at him with big kitten-blue eyes, though Squirrelflight could tell one wasn’t going to stay blue.

“Violetshine says she’s tired,” Rootkit added. For only being half a moon old, they had a lot of energy.

Treewhisker purred. “Once our visitors have left, I’ll gladly play with you two.”

Needlekit turned to look at Squirrelflight and her patrol, her eyes somehow wider than before. “Who are you?”

“I’m Squirrelflight, and this is my daughter Sparkpelt and her mate Larksong,” she replied, smiling through the heartache the kits brought. Leaf-bare was so far away, and unless Jessy came back early, it would be moons before she had kits of her own again. “I’ve come to speak with Leafstar, and they came with me for support.” She glanced over at the other two kits--considerably larger than Rootkit and Needlekit--who were still splashing in the puddles. She then looked at Bellaleaf and Honeytail. SkyClan needs all the territory it can get, she thought. They’ve got so many kits, and more on the way. “Who are your friends there?”

“Those are Reedclaw’s kits,” Treewhisker replied, “Kitekit and Turtlekit.”

“They get to be apprentices  _ moons  _ before us,” Needlekit whined. “But Frecklewish and Fidgetflake say we’re growing fast. Soon, we’ll be as big as them!”

Rootkit padded up to Squirrelflight, sniffing her and the rest of her patrol warily. “You don’t smell like us,” he mewed, ears flattening.

“That’s because we’re from ThunderClan, not SkyClan,” Larksong replied, his eyes warm.

Rootkit’s ears pricked as he looked at the black molly. “Like Twigshade?” he asked excitedly.

Sparkpelt nodded. “Yep. I mentored her, actually,” she purred. While Sparkpelt and Larksong talked to the kits about ThunderClan and Twigshade, Squirrelflight looked around the camp. Echobrook had joined Bellaleaf by the nursery, though his eyes were locked on the ThunderClan cats. Sandynose and Plumwillow were watching them from across camp, a half-eaten cardinal sitting between them. Frecklewish glanced up from the herbs she was sorting in the entrance of the medicine den, while Dewspring and Nectarsong stared at them from beside the fresh-kill pile.

Macgyver, his jaws parted in a yawn, padded out of the warriors’ den. “I smell ThunderClan,” he mewed sleepily, nose twitching. Blinking sleep from his eyes, he looked at Squirrelflight’s patrol. “Ah, Squirrelflight, we’ve been expecting you. And this is your patrol?”

Squirrelflight nodded, and was about to speak when Palesky ducked out of a den, Leafstar behind her. The tabby molly’s eyes were narrow with suspicion.  _ Does she still not trust my word? _

“Why are you here and not Bramblestar?” Leafstar asked, her voice surprisingly cold. “And with a patrol as well?”

“I was hoping I could talk to you,” she replied, shifting on her paws. “Alone.”

Leafstar remained where she stood, rain dripping down her whiskers.

“Come on, Leafstar,” Macgyver mewed. “She’s not here to kick us out. Remember the meeting last night?”

“I don’t want to put ideas in your Clanmates’ heads,” Squirrelflight added, glancing around the clearing. The amount of cats staring at her were making her beyond uncomfortable. “Why don’t we talk somewhere private?”

Sighing, Leafstar flicked her tail. “Fine,” she mewed, turning around to lead Squirrelflight to her den, “but Macgyver is coming as well. Quickly, I have a Clan to take care of and can’t spare much time.”

Squirrelflight followed Leafstar into the den, Macgyver following behind her. The den was dry, but stuffy from the heat and humidity. As much as she wanted to shake the rainwater from her fur, she would only succeed in soaking the others. Instead, she blinked raindrops from her eyes and tried to flick water off her dripping whiskers, ignoring the uncomfortable dampness seeping into her pelt. “I know SkyClan has suffered much, and has had to move around far more times than any Clan should,” she began, “but the borders we established a couple moons ago are not working for RiverClan or WindClan. Soon enough, this will cause problems for all five Clans.”

“How is that  _ our  _ problem though?” Leafstar asked, a hiss at the edge of her voice. “Why should  _ we  _ have to move because of their problems?”

Macgyver tried to speak to calm Leafstar, but Squirrelflight beat him to it. “It’s a problem for every Clan. Sure, it’s greenleaf now, and there’s plenty of prey to go around, but it won’t be greenleaf forever. The Clans are growing as well, and one prey-poor leaf-bare will cause cats to grow agitated watching their former hunting grounds go to waste while they struggle to feed themselves.” A flicker of interest shined in Leafstar’s eyes for a moment. “The current borders were the best solution we came up with at the time, and it’s best we’re realizing they’re not working when prey is still easy to find. We all know it’s not fair to make you move again,” Squirrelflight mewed earnestly. “That’s why I think this would be the best solution so peace can be kept.”

“So you want us to leave, just like that ShadowClan cat did,” Leafstar growled, rising to her paws.

“Leafstar, no,” Macgyver mewed, reaching a paw out to her shoulder. “You’re getting paranoid again. All Squirrelflight is saying is we should reconsider our hunting grounds.”

“You must never leave the lake,” Squirrelflight continued. “StarClan willed you to join the other Clans, so you will remain with us. I just think the territory beyond the abandoned Twolegplace could be good hunting grounds for you to extend your territory into, and then your borders can be narrowed some so we avert a territory crisis before it starts.”

“This’ll help all of us, Leafstar,” Macgyver added, his yellow eyes pleading. “The last thing we want is a war to break out from hunger. If we check out this territory and find it to be suitable for us to hunt in, we can prevent that war. Squirrelflight even said we’d still have easy access to the lake last night. Plus, it puts Frecklewish and Fidgetflake closer to the Moonpool.”

“But we don’t know if it’s free land,” Leafstar grunted. “It could be home to any number of things. Rogue cats, foxes, badgers--stars, maybe even Twolegs are there.”

“But we won’t know until we check it out,” Squirrelflight pleaded. “Come with my patrol and me, maybe take a couple of your own cats, and we’ll take a look at it. Then you can decide if it’s suitable for SkyClan. If you don’t think so, then no one will make you change your territory, and the other Clans will see how suitable their outer territories are.”

Leafstar sighed. “Fine, we will check it out,” she mewed, rising to her paws. “Macgyver, get two senior warriors and bring them here. Fetch Squirrelflight’s patrol as well.”

Macgyver nodded, then asked, “Should I tell anyone about the plan?”

“No,” Leafstar replied. “We shouldn’t put any ideas in their heads. We don’t know if we’ll be changing our territory at all.”

Macgyver nodded again before exiting the den. “I will tell the Clan your patrol is escorting Squirrelflight’s back to the border, then going for a hunt afterward.” Soon, he reappeared with Cherrytail, Tinycloud, Sparkpelt, and Larksong.

“Cherrytail, Tinycloud,” Leafstar mewed, “Squirrelflight and I will be leading a joint patrol to scout out potential new territory. You are coming with us alongside Squirrelflight’s patrol in the event of fights.”

“We might be gone for a while, though,” Squirrelflight mewed. “If this is potential new territory, then we have to examine it thoroughly. You can’t give it a quick glance and decide if it’s suitable or not.”

Leafstar narrowed her eyes, realizing Macgyver’s excuse would no longer work. “Tell the Clan that I’m visiting each of the leaders to get to know them and the rest of their Clan better,” she mewed finally. “You’re in charge until we get back, Macgyver.”

“With any luck,” Squirrelflight added, “it should only take a few days to check out all the new territory.”

“New territory?” Cherrytail asked, finally voicing her confusion. “Why do we need to look at new territory?”

“We’ll fill you in on our way,” Larksong mewed, touching his tail tip to the molly’s shoulder. “And nothing is set in stone yet. The other Clans might choose to alter their territories.”

“But why do you need us to come with you?” Tinycloud asked. “Shouldn’t Squirrelflight’s patrol be enough?”

Leafstar sighed and shook her head. “I trust that the following statement will not leave this den,” she mewed, “but I only have one life left.”

Squirrelflight blinked in surprise. She knew Leafstar was the oldest leader, around as old as Mistystar or Blackstar would be now, but she thought the molly had at least two lives still. And yet, this revelation gave her even more respect for Leafstar. Even with a single life left, she was willing to give it up for her Clan.

“No one in ThunderClan will know of this,” Sparkpelt mewed. “I’ll make sure of it. We’re not a Clan to exploit our allies’ weaknesses.”

Squirrelflight nodded. “Nothing leaves this den, I promise.”

“Then if that’s all anyone has to say, I say we get going,” Leafstar mewed, rising to her paws. “Macgyver, I trust SkyClan is in good paws while I’m gone.”

The black and white tom nodded as everyone squeezed out of the den. “Take care of each other,” he mewed. “I’d rather not have to tell our Clanmates or Bramblestar that anything happened to you guys.”

Squirrelflight nodded. “We will,” she replied, remembering Bramblestar’s worries last night. The rain was coming down harder now, and not even the kits were out in the puddles. She could see eyes watching them from shadowy dens as Leafstar led the way to the bramble tunnel, clearly still wary of the ThunderClan cats.

Outside the camp, the scents of moss and prey pressed around the patrol, sharpened further by the rain. The scents would wash away soon, but Squirrelflight took a deep breath to enjoy the smells as they hung tantalizingly in the air. For a moment, she was pulled back to the day she was apprenticed, when the scents of the forest blew into camp as she sat with Leafpool, then Leafpaw. Her heart seemed to shiver with excitement at the memory. Back then, she said she would be leader of ThunderClan, and now she was thinking and acting like one. She puffed out her chest as she took the lead from Leafstar as they entered ThunderClan territory. Once again, she was leading cats into the unknown.

* * *

Squirrelflight’s excitement ebbed as they walked further into ThunderClan territory, heading for the distant upper border. Rain dripped through the forest canopy, soaking the joint patrol further, but that’s not what deterred Squirrelflight. No, what deterred her was the quiet rumbling of her stomach as she led the patrols up the rise curving towards the abandoned Twoleg nest.

“According to our Clanmates, there are only stale scents from other creatures across the border,” Squirrelflight mewed to Leafstar. Behind them, Sparkpelt and Larksong were telling Cherrytail and Tinycloud the full situation. “No foxes or badgers have crossed the border in seasons, and the only scents are stale cat scents.”

“That doesn’t mean the area is free of threats,” Leafstar replied, narrowing her eyes against the rain. “There could be badgers or foxes settled deeper in the territory, or rogues who will fight us for stepping onto the land.”

Squirrelflight struggled to gauge Leafstar’s mood from her response. Was she still trying to keep an open mind about the territory? Or was she trying to find any excuse to object to it?  _ If she’s trying to object, _ she thought,  _ then I need to give reasons that it’s still a good idea. _ “You’ll be closer to the mountains,” she encouraged. “There’ll be plenty of prey there.”

“And more hawks to compete with,” Leafstar mumbled, ducking under a low-hanging branch. “I hope it’s not too exposed. We can’t risk anything with how many kits we have.”

“But you won’t necessarily have to move your camp,” Squirrelflight added, hopping over a fallen branch. “Even if you do, it might be good to be a bit further away from the lake. Besides, you’ll be closer to the Moonpool!”

It didn’t take long for the crumbling stone walls of the old Twolegplace to show among the trees. Squirrelflight veered the cats along a trail that led around the den, instinctively wary of anything that attracted Twolegs, even if it no longer attracted them. As she leaped across an old streambed, her stomach growled again.

“Maybe we should stop and catch some prey,” Sparkpelt suggested. “It wouldn’t do us any good to journey on empty stomachs.”

“As soon as we’re out of Clan territory, we can hunt,” Squirrelflight replied. “I don’t want ThunderClan getting the wrong idea of SkyClan scent on our territory.”

“But Sparkpelt and I can hunt here,” Larksong mewed. “The edge of Clan territory is right over there.” He waved his tail towards the thickening forest. “Cherrytail and Tinycloud can hunt there, and we can all meet up again after!”

“He does have a point,” Cherrytail added. “We’ll cover more ground if we’re not hungry.”

Squirrelflight couldn’t find herself disagreeing with the two mollies’ logic. “Fine,” she replied. “Leafstar and I will hunt up ahead so we can get a look at some of the territory, but we’ll backtrack and meet you guys here.”

“If we aren’t back by sundown, then make a camp for the night,” Leafstar added. “If we aren’t back tomorrow, head back to the Clans and get search patrols ready.”

“But hopefully it doesn’t come to that,” Squirrelflight interjected, seeing the worried look on her daughter’s face. “We just want to have a plan in place if the worst-case scenario happens.”

Larksong pressed against his mate’s side, whispering something in her ear. Squirrelflight wasn’t sure what the black molly said, but it made Sparkpelt relax. “Okay,” she replied, “we’ll meet back here at the border. Please stay safe.”

Squirrelflight nodded, touching noses with her daughter. “We will be,” she replied, moving to nuzzle one of Sparkpelt’s ears. “You stay safe as well.”

With that, the patrol split up. Sparkpelt and Larksong sprinted back into ThunderClan territory, while Cherrytail and Tinycloud bounded off in the opposite direction. Squirrelflight and Leafstar continued moving straight, passing the remains of the Twoleg nest and entering thicker forest. The slope of the rise they were following grew steeper, and soon the two mollies were scrambling between rocks to move forward, and the earth had turned to slippery mud. Taking a short rest on one of the rocks to catch her breath, Squirrelflight sniffed the air. By now, there was no chance of smelling any Clan markers, but she could smell plenty of fresh prey-scents around them, mingling with the smells of bark, earth, and the rain, which steadily grew lighter. Pines clustered around them, blocking out the sun--and the top of the slope, much to Squirrelflight’s disappointment.

Leafstar pushed onward during Squirrelflight’s break, ears flat against her head with determination. Realizing Leafstar was pulling ahead, she hurried at the heels of the SkyClan leader, zigzagging between the rocks and dense pines. There was no time to stop and hunt, and Squirrelflight’s stomach rumbled once again in hunger. Finally, the slope began to flatten, and the trees thinned out. Soon, the two mollies broke from the forest and found themselves on an open hilltop. As they stopped at the peak, sunshine beamed through the thinning clouds, illuminating the landscape ahead.

Squirrelflight gasped at the sight. Hills rose around them, small mounds that led to rocky mountain slopes in the distance. Forests were scattered across the land, and between them were swaths of land covered in grass like a pelt. She could see streams cutting through the valleys like claw marks, and cascades of boulders clustered in some of the ravines. “That looks like a good place to hunt,” Squirrelflight mewed, flicking her bushy tail towards a sun-drenched hillside. “I think I see rabbit holes.”

Leafstar didn’t respond, instead staring at the view. Her nose twitched as the wind blew fresh mountain scent towards them, along with the heavy smells of forest, water, and prey. Forcing herself to ignore her hunger again, Squirrelflight scanned the hillsides for signs of Twolegs. The only sign she saw was a Thunderpath cutting along one edge of the territory heading for the mountains, but no monsters patrolled it, and there were no stone nests.

Hope welled in Squirrelflight’s chest. This seemed like good territory for SkyClan to hunt in, though she was a bit disappointed it wasn’t more forested. Had there been more trees, ThunderClan and SkyClan could split the land, or ThunderClan could narrow its own territory and allow SkyClan to expand theirs without any chance of them moving away from the lake. Despite the bit of disappointment, she glanced at Leafstar, struggling to hide her excitement.

Leafstar narrowed her eyes, clearly still thinking about her decision. “Let’s take a closer look at some of these hills,” she mewed, crossing the hilltop and heading into the valley below. “We’ll hunt while we look, then head back to the rest of the patrol.” Brambles rose around them as neared the bottom, growing thicker and only cut by sandy tracks.  _ So she noticed the prey trails, _ Squirrelflight thought, ears and nose twitching as she tried to locate any prey. At the base of the hill, a stream chattered over a stony bed, and forest grew beyond it. The stream was shallow enough to wade across, and Leafstar led the way.

Squirrelflight shivered as the water swirled around her paws, kept cold by the forest’s shade despite the heat of greenleaf. Though she was still wet from the rain, she was glad to get out of the stream and follow Leafstar into the woods. The less water she was in, the better. She noticed the tracks in the forest were wider than the ones back on the bramble-covered hillside, and her fur bristled as she scented something familiar. There had been other cats here.  _ Loners or rogues? _ she thought, tasting the air. The scent itself was faint, almost washed away, showing they hadn’t been by this spot in some time. Pricking her ears, she could hear no movement around them except for the occasional mouse or squirrel. Glancing at Leafstar again, she could tell the SkyClan leader had scented the cats as well by the ruffled fur along her spine, despite her pelt being slick and heavy from rain.

Leafstar slowed as they headed deeper into new territory, whiskers twitching. Squirrelflight sensed her caution and moved closer to her, but still kept alert for any prey. She scanned the trees as they skirted another hillside, following the woodland to another valley. As they neared the bottom of the valley, the forest opened. Shrubs clustered on the far side of the clearing, sheltering a wide stretch of grass that covered the valley floor. Squirrelflight felt sunlight on her pelt again, and shook out her thick fur, grateful that she’d be dry soon. “This would make a good camp,” she murmured.

“Look.” Leafstar nodded, flicking her tail at a clump of moss piled at the foot of a bush. Beside it, the earth was scraped away from beneath the branches to form a hollow.

Squirrelflight stiffened, her fur bristling. “It seems someone else has made camp here already.” She jerked her muzzle around, spotting gaps between branches and flattened patches of grass. Her pelt spiked at the realization that this camp wasn’t abandoned like she hoped as she sniffed the air.  _ Cats! _ She couldn’t tell how many there were, for their scents had been washed away from the rain. “It smells like it’s been abandoned,” she mewed, but doubted herself.

Leafstar doubted her words too. As she looked around warily, tail twitching, she replied, “Why would they abandon this place? They’ve put in a lot of work to make it their home. If it’s truly abandoned like this, that means there are predators around.”

Squirrelflight uncurled her claws, hoping Leafstar was wrong about both of those, but a breeze blowing over them had her heart racing. It carried fresh cat scents. Leafstar moved beside her, pelt brushing as she unsheathed her claws. Cats were coming towards them, and they had to be prepared to fight.

Leafstar opened her mouth to say something, but turned her head and froze. Squirrelflight followed her gaze, blood running cold at the sight. A huge molly was staring at them besides a dogwood. Her fine gray fur was bushed out, making her appear even larger than she already was, and her blue eyes glittered with hostility. Her heart raced faster as the molly stalked towards them, growling.

“We’re going to have to fight our way out,” Squirrelflight whispered to Leafstar, flattening her ears as her own fur spiked.

“I don’t think we can,” Leafstar replied, nodding to the brambles at the side of the valley. Three more cats, easily as large as the first and led by a furious white molly, padded out. Four more appeared by the gray molly by the dogwood, and three more slid out from beneath a juniper bush on the other side of the valley, led by a silver tabby. “We’re surrounded!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After everything she's been through, Leafstar is sorta paranoid.  
> This chapter was honestly a pain to write. I want to get into more characters, and I'm very excited to introduce the Sisters. They're not making the best first impression here, though  
> Hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long to finish


	6. Chapter 4

The gray molly narrowed her eyes. “Why are you two here?” she hissed as the white molly and silver tabby molly joined her. The other cats moved forward some, their pelts bushed out and their eyes flashing menacingly.

“We were exploring,” Squirrelflight replied, shrinking back some. These cats were already huge, and having their fur fluffed up made them larger than even Bramblestar. “We didn’t realize…” she trailed off as she realized the gray molly’s belly was round. _She’s expecting kits!_

Leafstar shifted beside her, looking aggressive rather than nervous like Squirrelflight was. “We thought the camp was abandoned.”

Squirrelflight nodded, adding quickly, “The rain washed away your scent.”

The gray molly looked at her companions, exchanging questioning glances with them. The white molly flicked her tail, her gaze flashing back to Squirrelflight. “You must have seen our dens? Our tracks?”

“Yes,” Leafstar replied, stepping forward some, “and we were just going to leave.”

“But you said this would make a good camp,” the tabby molly mewed, glaring at the two Clan cats. “Why?”

“We were looking for new territory,” Squirrelflight told her, “but we didn’t realize other cats were settled here. Are you a Clan?”

“A Clan?” The gray queen tilted her head in confusion.

Leafstar growled. “Why are you explaining yourself to them?” she snapped at Squirrelflight. “For all we know, they’re like the Kin.”

Squirrelflight looked at the leader, green eyes wide. What was she supposed to do? “Can’t you see they outnumber us?”

“I noticed,” Leafstar growled back, anger flashing in her amber eyes, “but they’re rogues, not a Clan. I am not about to subject SkyClan to another group like the Kin.” Taking a deep breath to calm herself a bit, she flattened her fur and turned to the mollies. “I’m Leafstar, leader of SkyClan, and this is Squirrelflight, deputy of ThunderClan.”

“I am Moonlight,” the gray molly replied, then motioned with her tail to her companions, “and these are Snow and Tempest. They act as my second in commands. We are the Sisters.”

“We only came to find out if this land was empty,” Leafstar mewed firmly. “Now that we know it isn’t, we’ll leave you in peace.” She began padding forward, but Moonlight hissed and the Sisters fanned out behind her, leaving no stretch of grass uncovered.

“Wait!” Squirrelflight swallowed back a wave of panic. _We can’t fight our way out of this,_ she thought. She looked at Moonlight with pleading eyes. “We just want to go home.”

Moonlight’s deep blue gaze flicked over them. “Are you some of the cats from the lake?”

“Yes,” Squirrelflight replied, the fur on her back rising a bit. Had the Sisters been watching the Clans?

“I didn’t think you ever strayed past your scent markers,” Snow mewed, a growl at the edge of her voice.

“We don’t, usually,” Squirrelflight told them. “As I explained earlier, we were looking for new territory.”

“And you think you’re going to take this land?” Snow hissed, her eyes narrowed into slits.

“We were just _looking_ ,” Leafstar growled in reply. “We don’t _need_ it, so keep your land.”

While Snow looked ready to fight, Moonlight and Tempest didn’t move. “Who says it’s our land?” Moonlight asked.

“You live here, don’t you?” Leafstar shot back.

“For now.” Moonlight shook out her fur suddenly and sat down. Squirrelflight sensed the other cats around them relaxing as well--even Snow calmed down, but still glared at Leafstar. Squirrelflight let her fur smooth as well and glanced at Leafstar, hoping she would do the same. With the exception of Snow, these cats clearly didn’t want to fight. Why provoke them? Moonlight lifted a paw and began washing herself. “We aren’t like you lake cats,” she replied, drawing her paw over one ear. “We don’t make boundaries or leave markers.”

“If you did,” Leafstar muttered, “we might have stayed away.”

“Maybe so,” Tempest mewed, settling between Moonlight and Snow, “but other cats don’t show much interest in our land. They come and go; they hunt, then continue on their way. We’re left in peace.”

Squirrelflight wasn’t surprised other cats left the Sisters alone. They were far larger than Clan cats, with intimidating broad shoulders and wide paws. She wondered if even the best-trained warrior in the Clans could fight more than one of the Sisters. Even the three toms she spotted, though younger and smaller than the others, were sleek and well-muscled. They seemed like they had never suffered a harsh leaf-bare or gone to sleep with empty bellies.

Leafstar looked around the camp, her amber gaze sharp. “You said you only live here for now. Are you planning to stay long?”

Squirrelflight’s ears pricked at Leafstar’s question. She sounded curious. Was she actually considering Squirrelflight’s idea and this territory?

Moonlight followed the SkyClan leader’s gaze. “We’ll stay until my kits are ready to travel. I would guess another two moons?”

Leafstar glanced at the gray molly’s belly. “Will you ever return here?”

“It’s a good place for birthing,” Moonlight replied nonchalantly, “but if it’s occupied when we come back this way, we’ll find someplace else.” She wasn’t concerned--in fact, she probably knew other good territory in the area further from the lake.

Hope bloomed in Squirrelflight’s chest. If Leafstar was expressing interest in the land, they’d only have to wait a couple moons to get a better look at it. “So you’re considering my idea? Do you think you’ll move SkyClan here?”

“It’s good land,” she replied. “Perhaps after the Sisters have left, we’ll take a closer look at it.”

Squirrelflight’s heart soared. Her plan had worked, and she couldn’t wait to tell Bramblestar! SkyClan would be able to settle well before leaf-bare, and she was sure the other Clans would wait a season to shift the borders once again. “We should go back and share the news!”

“I’m not telling the other leaders or my Clan until I’ve made my final decision,” Leafstar snapped, fur rippling along her spine. “And I will not make my decision until the Sisters have left.”

“But once the other leaders know you’re considering it, they’ll be happy to leave the borders as is until you can explore the territory!” _Why is Leafstar being so stubborn?_ Squirrelflight thought. _This territory is perfect, even better than the forest! And the peace around the lake depends on finding new territory._

Leafstar glared at the small molly. “If it’s so important, then why not move ThunderClan here? We can go back to the Clans and suggest it--”

“No cat is going anywhere,” Moonlight mewed, watching the argument. Her tail was twitching, though her face didn’t show any anger.

Squirrelflight stiffened. The queen sounded determined. “What do you mean?”

Moonlight stood up, padding forward. “I can’t let you go back to your ‘Clans’. Not yet, at least. I don’t want any strange cats trekking through here.”

Leafstar’s ears twitched in annoyance. “We won’t be coming back until after you’ve left.”

“We just want to tell the other Clans that this land will be free soon!” Squirrelflight added. “That way, they don’t have to go out on their own searches and possibly run into hostile cats.”

Snow narrowed her eyes at them. “You’ve only just arrived, and already you’re arguing about which Clan should take our home,” she growled. “Do you really expect us to believe that you won’t want to get your paws on it as soon as you can?”

“We will respect your right to this territory until you are ready and able to move on,” Squirrelflight promised.

“ _You_ might,” Tempest added, “but the others might not. We aren’t going to risk our safety.”

Snow nodded in agreement. “We’ve heard enough about your Clans from other groups. We know that when they see something they like, they believe they have a right to it. Now that you two have discovered this land, if word gets out, your Clanmates will want to take it by force.”

“ThunderClan would never do that!” Squirrelflight hissed, fur bristling.

“And the others?” Moonlight asked, her gaze even. “Would they respect our right to be here, too?”

Squirrelflight hesitated. She knew the leaders of each Clan would respect the Sisters’ right to the land, but would the warriors respect it? She thought about Thornclaw, and how unwilling he was to understand the new WindClan border, and worried the other Clans had similar warriors. “We want this land for _SkyClan_ ,” she mewed firmly, “and you already have the word of their leader that they won’t even give it a further look until you have left.”

“We’ve learned not to invite trouble if we don’t have to,” Moonlight responded, flicking her nose towards a den at the edge of the clearing. “You will sleep there until it is time for us to move on.”

“But our Clans will come looking for us,” Squirrelflight insisted. The leader of SkyClan and the deputy of ThunderClan, missing? Their Clans would be worried sick. _Sparkpelt will be worried sick when she finds out I’m gone,_ she thought, longing for her daughter.

“And will they find you?” Moonlight glanced towards the end of the valley, where one hill rose into another. Heart sinking, Squirrelflight realized just how deep she and Leafstar had ventured into this territory. And if the rain had washed away the scent of the Sisters, it probably washed away their scents too. She gazed up towards the hilltops, feeling suddenly how small and far from home she was.

Leafstar bared her teeth at the gray queen. “You can’t keep us here against our will!”

Moonlight said nothing, but Snow crouched in front of her, and the other cats shifted around them, as if they were reminding Leafstar of their presence. Leafstar hissed, lowering herself into a crouch.

“Stay calm,” Squirrelflight whispered. “They can’t watch us the entire time. We’ll be able to slip away, I promise.”

Snow padded up to them, a pale calico molly following her and sniffing at the Clan cats curiously. Leafstar gave a warning growl, causing the calico to jump back a bit.

“Quiet!” Snow hissed, cuffing Leafstar over the head with a paw, claws sheathed. “Petal is our sister, so show her some respect!”

Leafstar’s growl turned into a hiss, worrying Squirrelflight. They didn’t need to provote the Sisters more than they already had. “Hush!” she hissed, nudging Leafstar sharply.

Snow stopped and stared at Leafstar, a threat in her eyes. She was huge, with muscles visible even beneath her thick white pelt. Petal settled down at her side, her blue eyes carefully watching the tabby leader. She was smaller than Snow, and less muscular, but she made up for it in a lithe, leggy build to rival WindClan. Leafstar held her gaze with Snow, refusing to back down and be intimidated. Narrowing her eyes one last time, Snow turned and stalked back to Moonlight, Petal following shortly after.

“Forgive Leafstar,” Squirrelflight mewed quickly, ignoring the molly’s sharp hiss. “She’s been through a lot in the past few seasons, and isn’t used to surrendering so easily. If you fear our Clanmates so much, then we will willingly stay as your captives until you’re ready to move on.”

Moonlight dipped her head. “Thank you. You two will be treated as any other campmate, not as prisoners.” She nodded to a small pale gray molly who bore a striking resemblance to Moonlight. “Ice, bring our visitors food from the prey-hole.”

Ice nodded, quickly trotting off towards a large juniper bush. As she began digging between the roots, Squirrelflight surveyed the camp. The sun was sinking towards the hilltop, casting long shadows in the valley. She saw now how well the bushes hid the camp--anyone climbing down the side of the valley would only see undergrowth until they reached the bottom and pushed through to the grassy clearing. The dense bushes would make it easier to hide when she and Leafstar managed to slip away. And she knew Bramblestar would find them eventually, no matter how well-hidden the camp was. Sparkpelt and Larksong would be able to guide him towards where the patrol split up. And if he enlisted SkyClan’s help, assuming Cherrytail and Tinycloud found their way back to their current territory, they’d probably be found even sooner.

The other Sisters glanced at one another, unsure of what to do now. Two of them, a pair of nearly-identical ginger and white mollies, sat down and began grooming each other; the young toms padded to the edge of the grassy clearing, watching the captives, while the other cats moved closer and murmured to one another. With the exception of Snow’s glare, the gazes the other Sisters gave them were inquisitive, quickly flicking over the two mollies.

Leafstar leaned towards Squirrelflight. “These cats are strange,” she hissed under her breath.

“I don’t think they want to hurt us, though,” Squirrelflight replied, allowing herself to lie down on the soft grass.

Leafstar snorted. “They’re holding us captive.”

Squirrelflight tried to keep her tone bright. “At least they’re going to feed us and treat us as one of their own.”

“I guess,” Leafstar conceded, slowly settling down on her haunches. Her amber gaze flitted over the Sisters. “I doubt they know what hunger even is.”

Squirrelflight noticed Moonlight watching them and lifted her muzzle. “How’s the hunting here?” she asked, her voice a bit louder than intended.

“You can see for yourself.” Moonlight nodded to Ice, who had pulled two fat mice from a hole beneath the juniper. Gripping their tails with her teeth, she shook the earth from them with a sharp toss of her head. Then, she padded across the grass, dropping one mouse at Squirrelflight’s paws and the other at Leafstar’s.

The mice smelled good, and Squirrelflight’s stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since that morning. She nodded to the pale gray molly. “Thanks.”

Moonlight stood up and flicked her fluffy tail towards the young toms. The smallest, a ginger tom, darted over to the prey-hole and began fishing for more food. One of the others, a tall silver and white tabby tom, ducked behind a bush at the edge of camp and dragged out a dead rabbit. The other cats slipped into the bushes surrounding camp, coming out with more prey. Squirrelflight guessed that they had been returning from a hunting patrol when she and Leafstar stumbled into their camp, and they had left their catches outside of camp when they scented intruders. The prey-hole must be where they stored any leftover prey from one day to the next. She wondered how the Sisters decided who had to eat from the prey-hole and who got to eat fresh prey.

A brown torbie padded over to Moonlight, two voles in her jaws. She laid the voles in front of the queen, nodding to her. Moonlight nodded back as the torbie settled on the grass by the ginger and white mollies, joining in the grooming session. _Those must be her kin,_ Squirrelflight thought, pulling her mouse closer to her. She glanced over at Leafstar, who was still sitting stiffly, eyes darting around the clearing. “Eat,” she mewed, nudging the other mouse closer to her.

Leafstar didn’t respond, only sitting up straighter and staring at their captors. Squirrelflight hoped the SkyClan leader wouldn’t start a fight. _We only have to play along until either we can slip away or until our Clanmates find us,_ she thought, tucking into her mouse. _Why risk hurting another cat or ourselves?_

As she savored the plump mouse, Squirrelflight watched the Sisters relax. They shared prey and tongues just like her own Clanmates. Moonlight had shifted onto her side, relieving her weight from her swollen belly, and was enjoying her voles. Beside her, Snow had settled down with a shrew. A little further away, Tempest sat with two silver and white tabby toms, sharing a fat hare with them. _Are they her sons?_ Squirrelflight thought. _They look an awful lot like her._

Moonlight blinked calmly at Squirrelflight. “I hope you and your friend will find your stay with us comfortable,” she mewed, her voice silky and soft. “It’s better to enjoy the company of others rather than resist it. The Sisters don’t like violence, and we do our best to avoid it.”

“The Clans avoid violence too, when possible,” Squirrelflight replied. “Peace is better for every cat. It brings better hunting and allows us to keep our herb stocks high so we can share with the other Clans.”

Tempest looked up from the hare. “How long will it be before your Clans wonder where you are?”

“A quarter-moon, at least,” Squirrelflight replied, lying through her teeth with ease. She was almost positive Bramblestar and Macgyver would send patrols sooner, but rescue would be easier if the Sisters weren’t expecting it.

Leafstar huffed beside her, pushing her half-eaten mouse away. “ _My_ Clan will be missing me already,” she meowed pointedly. “SkyClan needs their leader. They’ll send out search parties tomorrow, and it won’t take them long to find me.”

As Squirrelflight swallows back frustration, Tempest glanced at Moonlight, alarmed. “Perhaps we should let them go, Moonlight. We shouldn’t invite trouble.”

Moonlight hooked her second vole with a claw, bringing it towards her. “There won’t be trouble,” she replied nonchalantly. “Keeping these cats will send an important message to the Clans.”

The tall tabby and white tom beside Tempest frowned. “What message?”

“While we don’t fight easily, we also don’t scare easily,” Moonlight told him. “Besides, they’re less likely to start anything if it might endanger their Clanmates’ safety. _Especially_ their leader’s.”

The other tom, more white than silver tabby, scowled at Squirrelflight. “If they hurt us, we hurt you!” he hissed.

Moonlight blinked at him coolly. “Keep your claws sheathed, Grass.” She glanced at Tempest. “Your kit reminds me of his father.”

Tempest’s tail twitched self-consciously, her ears flattening. “He’s just young, that’s all.”

The two toms looked like apprentices, still young and not quite fully grown, but old enough to hunt and fight. Getting a better look at them, she could see they were both white with silver tabby patches, but one only had patches on his legs. They had different eye colors as well; the mostly white tom had light green eyes, while the silver and white tabby shared Tempest’s amber eyes. “Are you two brothers?” Squirrelflight asked.

The silver and white tabby nodded. “I’m Stone,” he replied, “and this is Grass.”

“I can introduce myself,” Grass mewed, though Squirrelflight could hear a purr at the edge of his voice.

Squirrelflight looked at the only other tom in the group. He was moons younger than Grass and Stone--hardly more than a kit--and bright ginger, just like the molly beside him. The molly nodded in greeting to her. “I’m Furze,” she said, “and this is my kit, Creek.”

Squirrelflight greeted her warmly, then leaned toward Leafstar. “Have you noticed there are no grown toms here, only kits?”

“Now that you mention it…” Leafstar narrowed her eyes once again at the Sisters. “I wonder what happened to their fathers. Or any of the Sisters’ brothers.”

“Maybe they ate them.” Squirrelflight cast a glance at Leafstar, her tone light and joking, but she couldn’t help feeling the absence of adult toms was odd.

Moonlight nodded to a golden molly crouching beside the juniper. “That’s Sunrise. She and Ice are my daughters.” Sunrise nodded as Moonlight’s gaze flicked past her to the two ginger and white mollies, who had stopped sharing tongues and were instead sharing a thrush with the torbie molly. “They’re Flurry and Sparrow. Hawk is their mother.” Her gaze trailed away to a plump cream molly sunning herself in the remaining light. "That's Petal's daughter, Sunshine."

Leafstar jabbed her mouse with her claws, hooking it up to inspect it. “We don’t need to know every cat’s name,” she mewed, scowling. “We won’t be here long.”

Moonlight glanced at the cream and brown tabby thoughtfully for a moment, then returned to her vole as though she was dismissing Leafstar’s claim. They finished their meal in silence after that.

Squirrelflight was aware of the Sisters snatching watchful glances at her and Leafstar as they finished eating. Some of them, like Snow, clearly weren’t comfortable with Moonlight’s decision to keep them. Others, like Flurry and Sparrow, stared at them with wide, curious eyes, and Squirrelflight couldn’t help but smile warmly at them. They reminded her of apprentices, eager to start training and learn everything. _They look just like Leafpool did when she started her medicine cat training,_ she thought, wishing her sister was with her.

Dusk was creeping over the valley, allowing shadows to swallow the hillside. Squirrelflight glanced around the bushes surrounding camp, spotting small gaps here and there where she and Leafstar could slip out. The Sisters would have to sleep eventually, and Squirrelflight bet she and Leafstar could slip past even the most careful guard. Once they were out of the camp and in the thick undergrowth of the valley, it would be difficult to follow them, especially given the Sisters’ size. Her thoughts flitted back to ThunderClan. Bramblestar was probably worried sick about her, hoping the mission was going well but unable to check for himself. She wondered if Sparkpelt and Larksong had made it back to camp already, or if they were sticking to the plan and camping just outside ThunderClan territory with Cherrytail and Tinycloud.

Moonlight beckoned Tempest and Snow with a flick of her nose, and the two mollies hurried to speak with her. Moonlight murmured something first to Tempest, then to Snow. With a nod, they both got up and headed across the clearing, stopping in front of Squirrelflight and Leafstar.

Tempest nodded towards the juniper bush. “Moonlight says you’re to sleep there.”

Snow hung back as they got to their paws, watching through narrowed eyes as Squirrelflight and Leafstar padded to the juniper bush. Leafstar glanced over her shoulder at the white molly. “I don’t care how big she is,” she hissed to Squirrelflight, “if she snarls at me again, I’ll claw her fur off.”

Tempest stopped beside the juniper bush. “Snow is protective of her campmates, that’s all,” she mewed, blinking apologetically at Leafstar. “And she doesn’t trust strangers.”

Squirrelflight sniffed the bush, the warm smell of bracken reminding her of home. Tempest nodded to a small gap between the branches. “You’ll find nests inside. Snow will be guarding the entrance, so if you need anything, let her know.”

Squirrelflight dipped her head. “Thank you,” she replied, while Leafstar pushed past her and strode inside.

“Do you have to make this difficult?” Squirrelflight hissed, following her in. The entrance opened into a small den, with bracken and moss padding the ground and piling around the edges. It had clearly been used recently. “Cats have given up their nests so we can sleep comfortably.”

“They wouldn’t have to if they would just let us go!” Leafstar hissed, sitting on one of the piles and curling stiffly into the moss. “I don’t know why you’re treating them like friends when they’re holding us captive.”

“Why should I make this any more uncomfortable than it already is?” Squirrelflight mewed irritably in return. “Besides, I saw a gap beside the dogwood that might lead to a track through the bush. I doubt we’ll get past Snow tonight, but if we play along, the whole group will be less watchful. We should be able to slip away tomorrow night.”

“‘Play along,’” Leafstar grunted, turning away from the ThunderClan deputy. “I thought we were warriors, but here we are, held hostage by a bunch of rogues.” She continued grumbling into the bracken, though Squirrelflight could no longer make out anything she was saying.

Squirrelflight settled on the bracken beside Leafstar. She sympathized with the SkyClan leader. It was humiliating to be kept prisoner here, and she wondered if this is how RiverClan had felt when Darktail took over their territory. Conflict could be dangerous, though, and not just for them. What if Moonlight’s unborn kits were hurt in the fight? Resting her muzzle on her paws, Squirrelflight closed her eyes. Tired after the long trek into new territory, she forced herself to push her worries away and let herself sink into sleep.

A screech woke her, splitting the air. Squirrelflight jerked her head up, scrambling to her paws. In the darkness, it took her a moment to realize that she wasn’t back in ThunderClan camp, but with the Sisters outside ThunderClan territory. Another screech sounded, and with a sickening jolt, Squirrelflight realized who it was. Leafstar wasn’t beside her. She scrambled out of her nest and darted outside.

Snow had Leafstar pinned to the grass, white pelt bushed out. The molly was snarling at the SkyClan leader, pressing her shoulders hard into the earth. Leafstar struggled beneath her, hind paws churning, but Snow had twisted out of reach. The white molly glanced up as Squirrelflight skidded to a halt behind them. “I don’t like to start fights any more than Moonlight does,” she hissed, “but I’m more than willing to finish them.” She let go of Leafstar and backed away, ears flat.

Flurry and Sparrow had hurried out of their den, and Grass and Stone watched with wide eyes from across the clearing.

Moonlight padded towards them, blinking sleep from her eyes. “What’s going on here?”

“She tried to escape,” Snow hissed, narrowed eyes looking at Leafstar.

Leafstar pushed herself to her paws and shook out her pelt, rage burning in her eyes.

Squirrelflight hurried to her side. “She was probably just going to make dirt,” she mewed quickly.

“No, I wasn’t,” Leafstar growled.

“Get inside!” Squirrelflight hissed at the SkyClan leader. Was Leafstar trying to cause them trouble? Before she could dwell on her thoughts, she scented blood. “You’re hurt!”

Leafstar snorted and turned towards the den. Squirrelflight’s chest tightened as she watched her limp inside, remembering the leader was on her last life. Snow was glaring at her, eyes glittering, while Grass and Stone exchanged nervous glances with each other.

Flurry stepped forward. “We can take over guarding, if you’d like,” she offered Snow.

Sparrow nodded, pressing against her sister. “You can get some sleep.”

Snow narrowed her eyes, but her gaze softened slightly at the young mollies. “I’ll finish what I started,” she mewed ominously, chilling Squirrelflight.

Moonlight flicked her tail. “Make sure your friend stays in the den,” she told Squirrelflight. “I don’t want any more disturbances tonight.” She turned and headed back to her own den, Flurry and Sparrow following.

Squirrelflight entered her temporary den to find Leafstar lapping at her hind paw. “Let me look at your wound,” she said, nosing Leafstar’s muzzle out of the way so she could inspect the ragged fur. Blood oozed from a deep scratch on her leg, and Squirrelflight’s heart sank. It would be much harder for them to escape now that Leafstar was wounded. “Make sure it stays clean,” she told her.

“What do you think I was doing?” Leafstar snapped before returning to licking her wound again.

Squirrelflight looked around the den, relieved to find cobwebs crowding between the branches above their heads. She reached up and grabbed a swath of them. “Dress your leg with these once you’ve finished cleaning it.”

“Thanks.” Leafstar took the cobwebs from her, blinking gratefully.

“Tomorrow, we’ll see if we can get herbs to treat it.” She hoped her voice didn’t give away the anxiety fluttering in her belly. Why hadn’t Leafstar waited, as they had planned? “Were you going to leave without me?”

Leafstar shook her head. “I was trying to see if there was an easy way out of the camp,” she told Squirrelflight. “If I had found one, I would have come back to get you.”

“Okay.” Squirrelflight nodded, believing her. Leafstar wouldn’t abandon another warrior, Clanmate or not. She settled back down in her nest. Escaping was going to be harder than she thought. Her fur prickled, worrying if they’d have to fight their way out of the camp. She forced her fur to flatten. Fighting would be dangerous for them. While the Sisters seemed peaceful, they were clearly willing to be aggressive if they needed to. “Next time you come up with an escape plan, please tell me first.”

“I don’t know if there’ll _be_ a next time,” Leafstar replied, wrapping the cobwebs around her paw. “I think we’ll have to wait for our Clanmates to rescue us.”

Squirrelflight met her amber gaze darkly. She didn’t want ThunderClan or SkyClan cats to get hurt because she convinced Leafstar to come here. Guilt wormed in her belly. Our patrol should’ve never split up, she thought. “They might not watch us so closely tomorrow,” she mewed, trying to stay hopeful. “We might still be able to get away.”

Leafstar eyed her doubtfully. “They won’t let us go so easily. Especially now that I’ve tried escaping.”

Squirrelflight shifted her paws anxiously. Leafstar was right. They didn’t have much of a chance of escaping anymore. She could only pray to StarClan that their Clanmates would find them quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ice is small for a Sister due to her illness as a kit. Unlike Treewhisker, who is naturally fairly small, Ice was supposed to be larger, like her mother. Sunrise is smaller than Moonlight, but still larger than Treewhisker.
> 
> Update 11/23/2020: Modified a few things to include Sunshine


	7. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take note that the allegiances and previous chapter have been updated to include Sunshine

Squirrelflight sat down and curled her tail over her paws, yawning. The fat vole Sparrow had brought her at sunhigh was making her sleepy, and the greenleaf heat wasn’t helping. Across the clearing, Tempest, Stone, and Grass were bringing rocks out of a small tunnel on the side of one of the hills, piling them around the entrance. They were also pulling branches from a nearby gorse bush, adding them to the stones surrounding the cave opening. Squirrelflight nodded to Leafstar. “I think they’re building a new den.”

“If Moonlight would let us go, they wouldn’t need to build a new den,” Leafstar huffed, lying outside the juniper bush they had slept in for the past two nights. The wound on her leg was still raw, though beginning to heal after the Sisters had treated it with herbs. Unfortunately, her wound meant she and Squirrelflight had no chance of escaping. The Sisters watched them day and night, and even if they managed to sneak out, Leafstar wouldn’t be able to outrun a patrol.

Besides, while she was homesick, Squirrelflight felt content with the Sisters. They were being treated well, sharing prey with the others and accepting them as if they were new members of the group. Even Snow, who was still very wary and watchful of them, had begun to warm to them. Last night, she had brought Leafstar some poppy seeds in case her wound kept her awake from pain.

Leafstar had also started to grow comfortable in the valley camp, despite her protests. She no longer complained about the crisp scent of the hills or how the prey tasted more of sweet herbs than the dank flavors of the forest. She was even starting to warm up to the Sisters’ company, particularly Ice and Sunrise.

Squirrelflight wondered if ThunderClan or SkyClan had sent search patrols out yet. The thought made her belly tighten with anxiety. Bramblestar was probably frantic now, regardless of if Sparkpelt and Larksong had returned or not. She hated worrying him, thinking back to their conversation about kits a few days ago. But in addition to worrying about her Clanmates and mate, she was also afraid that she and Leafstar would bring an angry patrol of warriors to the Sisters. The last thing she wanted was a fight to break out.

The ferns masking the camp entrance rustled, then Flurry pushed through them. She was carrying herbs in her mouth, and Squirrelflight recognized the scent of marigold leaves. The ginger and white molly quickly crossed the clearing and stopped beside Leafstar, dropping her herbs and shaking out her fur. “How does your leg feel?” she asked Leafstar.

“It’s sore, but it’s starting to feel better,” Leafstar replied, moving her leg closer as Flurry leaned down to look at it.

Squirrelflight had been impressed at how many Sisters were skilled at using herbs. Hawk, Sparrow, and Sunshine had also helped treat Leafstar’s wound. “Do you all know how to treat wounds?” she asked, watching Flurry strip the marigold leaves from the stem.

“Of course,” Flurry mewed simply, keeping her eyes on her work. “We Sisters have to take care of each other, after all.”

“The Clans only have a few medicine cats,” Squirrelflight told her. “Usually only one or two per Clan.”

“But what if they get sick?” Flurry blinked at her, green eyes wide. “Who takes care of them?”

Leafstar stretched her muzzle forward to sniff the marigold. “The medicine cats from all five Clans look after each other. Many of them have apprentices as well,” she mewed.

“I guess we’re all apprentices here, in our own way,” Flurry explained. “The mothers teach the kits, and every Sister learns from each other.” She began to chew the marigold into a poultice, halting her end of the conversation.

After two days, Squirrelflight had grown used to the strange way the Sisters referred to each other. The younger cats referred to older ones as Mother, regardless of if that molly was their mother or not. Mollies of similar age called each other Sister, regardless of if they were littermates or not. Names were used sparingly, except when referring to the toms, who were only referred to by names.

As Flurry began to gently lap the poultice into Leafstar’s wound, earning a wince from the tabby molly, Moonlight padded into camp. Long honeysuckle vines trailed from her jaws, and following her were Snow, Creek, Sunshine, and Sparrow, each carrying vines of their own.

“Is that for the new den?” Leafstar asked. She had stopped hiding her curiosity and was just as quick to ask questions as Squirrelflight was.

Flurry finished applying the poultice and glanced at her campmates. “We’re building Moonlight’s birthing den.”

“Will her kits be coming soon?” Squirrelflight hoped that Moonlight’s estimation that they’d be gone before greenleaf ended was right.

Flurry nodded. “The kits are due in about a moon,” she replied.

Moonlight dropped her vines by the pile of stones at the mouth of the cave before heading across the clearing. “Is the wound healing, Sister?” she asked Flurry as she neared.

“Yes, Mother,” Flurry replied, nodding. “The swelling has gone down quite a bit.”

“Good.” Moonlight stopped beside the younger molly and nodded politely to Squirrelflight and Leafstar. “Have you two eaten?”

“Sparrow brought us prey before she left,” Squirrelflight told her, dipping her head. “I wish you’d let me help with the hunting, though. I don’t like being treated like an elder.”

“An elder?” Moonlight tilted her head, puzzled.

Leafstar tentatively stretched her injured leg out. “An elder is an old cat,” she mewed. “In the Clans, when warriors become elders, they only hunt if they want to. Apprentices and younger warriors make sure that they’re well-fed and otherwise cared for, so they never need to leave camp unless they want to.”

“I could never stay in camp all day,” Moonlight mewed. “Even heavy with kits, I need to go out.”

“I don’t like it much, either.” Squirrelflight flicked her tail tip irritably. “I need to stretch my legs and hunt.”

Leafstar’s ears twitched. “If you let us go, not only could we both stretch our legs, we could help you with hunting.”

Moonlight sniffed Leafstar’s wound. “We’ll let you go when we move on,” she mewed firmly. “Until then, you’ll have to put up with living like your elders.”

Squirrelflight glanced over at Creek and Sparrow, who were weaving vines between the gorse branches to form a small tunnel leading into the cave. “Can I help out with the new den, then?” Two days of doing nothing had dragged on and left her incredibly restless.

“That would be kind,” Moonlight mewed, straightening herself. “Leafstar should rest her leg, though.”

“I’m happy to watch,” Leafstar told her.

Moonlight led Squirrelflight across the clearing, Flurry following them. Stone was still scraping rocks to the side of the tunnel’s opening, only pausing when Squirrelflight reached him. She peered inside and saw that his, Grass, and Tempest’s work had turned the tunnel into almost a cave. Some of the juniper branches they had broken off were pressed against the walls and roof, likely to prevent a cave-in. Even inside the outer tunnel, the juniper walls were thick enough to keep sunlight to a minimum, keeping the den cool. It looked a lot like the warriors’ den back in ThunderClan. Squirrelflight swallowed hard, a fresh wave of homesickness washing over her.

Tempest snapped her out of her thoughts, padding around the pile of honeysuckle. “We’ll need more,” she mewed, glancing at the unfinished den.

Moonlight nodded to Snow. “Sister, take Sunshine and Creek and fetch more,” she mewed firmly.

Snow dipped her head to the gray molly before turning toward the camp entrance, Sunshine following her. As they made their way out of camp, Snow flicked her tail to Creek, who eagerly bounded after them.

Tempest beckoned to Grass and Stone, motioning to the pile of vines. “Use these to reinforce the outer parts of the den,” she told them.

“Sure.” Stone glanced at his brother. “You weave from the inside and I’ll weave from out here?”

Grass nodded, grasping a vine with his teeth and dragging it into the den while Stone hauled a second vine around the right side of the den.

As Tempest watched her sons work, Squirrelflight saw sadness in the tabby’s amber gaze. Was she thinking about their father? Where was he?

“We’ll work on this side,” Moonlight mewed, snapping Squirrelflight out of her thoughts. The gray molly was dragging most of the remaining vines over to the left side of the outer tunnel.

Squirrelflight followed, casting one last glance at Tempest as she took the remaining vines inside the tunnel. “It must have been hard for her, raising her kits alone,” she murmured before picking up a vine.

Moonlight’s blue eyes widened, and she looked offended at the statement. “She didn’t raise them alone. She had us.”

“But she must miss her mate.”  _ I know I would if I had to raise my kits without Bramblestar, _ she thought.  _ It was hard enough raising Alderheart and Sparkpelt with him since we were both so busy, even with Jessy’s help. _

Moonlight tucked a vine into the tunnel wall and began to draw it through, tugging at it with her paws. “Why would she miss her mate?”

“Doesn’t she love him?” Squirrelflight shot Moonlight a puzzled look as she pushed her vine through a gap in the juniper branches.

“I don’t know,” Moonlight told her, tucking the end of her vine underneath another part of it to secure it. “We prefer to live without toms. Tempest could’ve stayed with her kits’ sire if she wanted to, but she chose to travel with us and raise her kits among her Sisters.”

Squirrelflight was shocked at Moonlight’s statement. She couldn’t imagine raising kits without Bramblestar or Jessy, much less living without them. Even the two days she had been gone felt too long to be without Bramblestar. How worried was he about her? Her heart quickened. She wanted to see him again, let him know she was safe. He’d be so relieved to know she wasn’t hurt… or worse.

“Here,” Moonlight mewed, pushing a tendril towards her, “pull this one through.”

Squirrelflight tugged at it while Moonlight tucked her end into the wall, securing it between the branches. “If you prefer not to have toms around,” Squirrelflight mewed as she tucked her end of the vine into the wall, “what will happen to Grass and Stone? They’re your kin, so will they get to stay?”

“No,” Moonlight replied simply, sitting back on her haunches to inspect their work. “They’re six moons old, so they’re ready to leave us. We’ve just been waiting until the stars were in place.”

Squirrelflight wondered for a moment if the Sisters had their own version of StarClan. She glanced at Moonlight, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Wait until tonight,” Moonlight told her. “You’ll see then.”

“Do they even  _ want  _ to leave?” Squirrelflight wondered how the Sisters could send their sons away so young. At six moons, her kits would have only just left the nursery and become apprentices. She wouldn’t even think of trying to send them off on their own at that age.

“Of course they want to leave,” Moonlight responded. “They’re toms. They have a deep connection with the land, so they must travel as they wish rather than being tied to our path. It’s best for everyone that they wander and find their place.”

Squirrelflight couldn’t imagine being separated from Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Sparkpelt, or Alderheart no matter how old they were. Losing Hollyleaf, Juniperkit, and Dandelionkit had torn her apart, and she loved her remaining four kits fiercely. Even being separated from them here was hard for her. “Won’t Tempest miss them?”

“At first,” Moonlight told her, voice even, “but there will be new litters to take care of soon enough.” She glanced at her belly. “We are all mothers to each others’ young.”

“But where will Stone and Grass go?”

“Wherever they choose.” Moonlight reached for the end of Squirrelflight’s first vine and tucked it between the branches. “They might travel together, or become loners, or join rogues, or live with Twopaws. Their ancestors and their connection to the land will guide them.”

“Twopaws?” Squirrelflight tilted her head, confused at the new term.

Moonlight glanced back at her. “The furless animals that build big stone dens to live in.”

_ Twolegs, _ Squirrelflight thought, shuddering. “But why would any cat choose to be a kittypet?” She thought of Firestar and his choice to leave his Twolegs for life in the forest. She thought of Stormcloud and Jessy, left separated from their Twolegs from a flood and finding themselves enjoying the freedom of the wild. She thought of Daisy, who left a hybrid loner-kittypet life for the safety of her kits, and found a place as a permanent queen in ThunderClan.

“Our ancestors were  _ kittypets _ , as you call them,” Moonlight told her, her blue eyes boring into Squirrelflight’s green ones. “All the Sisters are descended from den-bound cats. Our first Mothers were a single family.”

Squirrelflight dropped the vine she was holding as Moonlight pulled on another. She suddenly understood why the Sisters looked so similar. Regardless of age, they almost all shared large frames and thick, long fur, setting them apart from most warriors or rogues she had met. It made sense that they came from a single family, and she was eager to know more. “Flurry said that you all have medicine cat skills as well.”

Moonlight gave her a puzzled look. “What’s a medicine cat?”

“In the Clans, we have cats who have special knowledge about healing herbs,” she explained.

“Surely it is safer to share such knowledge?”

“Most cats know how to treat basic wounds, and experienced queens know how to handle kitting without a medicine cat most of the time, but there’s more to being a medicine cat than knowing about herbs,” she added. “They can communicate with StarClan, our dead ancestors.”

“They speak with the dead?” Moonlight was suddenly interested, resting her forepaws on the ground. “Is their gift passed from mother to kit?”

Squirrelflight shook her head. “Medicine cats don’t have kits.”  _ And not all of them are mollies, either,  _ she thought, thinking of her sons.

Moonlight blinked, clearly surprised. “Why not?”

“It’s forbidden. They devote their lives to caring for the Clan.”  _ Although I don’t understand why it’s forbidden if there’s another medicine cat to help, _ she thought,  _ or another queen to care for the kits. Especially for toms, since they usually don’t have to nurse their kits or anything. _

Moonlight frowned. “That must be difficult. I couldn’t imagine my life without kits.”

“Nor could I.” Squirrelflight thought of Leafpool and how hard it must have been for her to watch her kits grow up from afar. She had to pretend she wasn’t the mother of Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather, and that Squirrelflight was their birth mother. Even now, Lionblaze and Jayfeather didn’t see Leafpool as their mother, as she wasn’t the one who raised them. Things were much simpler here. Kits were born, and the Sisters took care of them together. They could take mates where they’d like, and there were no rules about falling in love with cats outside of the group--in fact, it was necessary--or who could have kits at all. But, Squirrelflight remembered, they had to send their sons away. She glanced at Moonlight’s belly. “Aren’t you frightened you might have sons who’ll have to leave you?”

“We can’t hold on to those we love forever,” Moonlight told her. “I’ve already had to send away my own sons, so I’m prepared to do so again if I must.”

“What about your kits’ sire?” Squirrelflight hesitated after asking, remembering queens have a right to not discuss the sire. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but did you love them?”

Moonlight purred, as though she thought the question was funny. “I liked him, yes. But Jack is an everkit--a den-bound cat. Sure, he was handsome and fun to be around, and I was ready for another litter of kits, but my life is here among my Sisters.”

Squirrelflight’s heart suddenly ached for a new litter with Bramblestar. “Will you see him again?”

“I’ll visit the barn where he lives and show him our kits when they’re old enough to travel,” Moonlight told her. “They may want to know him, or even choose to live by him when they’re old enough to leave our group. We let our young--toms, mollies, and moggies--decide how they want to live. Not every cat wants a life like ours, not even all of our daughters.”

As she finished speaking, Creek, Snow, and Sunshine pushed through the ferns at the entrance, dragging long vines behind them. They dropped their vines beside the birthing den, and Grass poked his head out to drag a vine inside the tunnel while Moonlight and Stone fetched more for their sides of the wall. Squirrelflight admired how peacefully the cats worked, quietly helping one another until Sunrise, Furze, and Petal padded into camp with jaws full of prey.

As the sun began to set, the Sisters finished their work before settling around the clearing to eat. Moonlight pushed a young rabbit to Squirrelflight and glanced at the now-purple sky, where stars were starting to show. “Look,” she mewed, pointing with her paw to a cluster of stars.

Squirrelflight followed her paw to the patch of stars, which seemed to stretch in a line toward the horizon.

“The Claw Stars are pointing towards the sunset,” Moonlight explained, glancing across the clearing to Grass and Stone. They sat close to their mother, sharing a plump squirrel. “It is a good night for our sons to begin their wandering.”

“Tonight?” Squirrelflight’s heart ached for Tempest as she watched her nudge Grass fondly before tearing off a strip of the squirrel’s flesh for Stone. “Does Tempest know?”

“She’ll have seen the stars by now,” Moonlight told her matter-of-factly. She padded to join the tabby molly and toms, leaving the ginger molly alone.

Squirrelflight carried the rabbit over to Leafstar and laid it down beside her. The SkyClan leader had been dozing, her muzzle resting in the grass, but the scent of the rabbit got her attention. She lifted her head sleepily as Squirrelflight settled down beside her, blinking at the rabbit. “Is the den ready?”

Squirrelflight shook her head. “Not yet, but we made good progress.” She glanced at the half-finished den, admiring the work. “We can weave in the rest of the vines tomorrow. I might suggest they pull another branch or two out to lay across the entrance. It’ll keep the kits from escaping.”  _ Dustpelt would be proud, _ she thought happily.

Leafstar pushed herself into a sitting position and sniffed at the rabbit. “You sound so at home here,” she murmured, eyeing Squirrelflight accusingly. “Are you planning to stay?”

“No, of course not!” Squirrelflight lifted her chin. “I just want to make myself useful while we’re stuck here. It keeps my mind off of how much I miss my Clan.”

“Don’t make yourself too useful,” Leafstar grunted, tearing a chunk of flesh from the rabbit. “They might try to keep you forever.”

Squirrelflight tore herself a hunk of rabbit from the carcass and settled down to eat it. The Sisters had a good life here, but she missed her Clanmates dearly. Despite that, she wondered what it was like to live without the warrior code. The Sisters had a code of their own, yes, but it seemed very loose. Cats were allowed to come and go as they pleased. She wondered what stopped them from falling apart, though, especially when they faced the hardships of sickness and hunger.

The shadows deepened as she ate, and the moon slowly rose into the star-speckled sky. The half moon was approaching, she noticed, lighting up the sky more than it had at the leaders’ gathering the other night. As she finished eating, she spotted Moonlight rising to her paws. Wordlessly, she headed toward the camp entrance. The other Sisters followed her, Grass and Stone padding close to their mother.

Furze stopped by Squirrelflight, sitting beside her. “Moonlight says you are to go with them,” she mewed, then glanced at Leafstar’s injured leg. “She can stay here with me. I have to stay behind with Creek anyways.”

“Grass and Stone are leaving tonight,” Squirrelflight told Leafstar. “They’re saying their final goodbyes before they do so. Will you be alright here by yourself?”

Leafstar sniffed. “I won’t be by myself,” she said. “I’ll have Furze and Creek to keep me company.” She sounded unimpressed, but Furze didn’t seem bothered. Instead, she sat beside the SkyClan leader and sniffed at the remains of the rabbit.

“Do you mind if Creek and I have some of this?” she asked Leafstar.

“Go ahead.” Leafstar shrugged, though Squirrelflight could see her eyes softening as Creek bounded over.

Squirrelflight smiled before leaving them, hurrying after the other Sisters. Sunrise was waiting for her as she pushed her way through the ferns covering the camp entrance. “Which way did they go?” she asked, gazing up at the rising slopes ahead. Bushes covered the path the Sisters were taking, and though their scents were strong, they were mixed with the smells of the gushes and hillsides.

“Follow me.” Sunrise ducked under a gorse bush and led Squirrelflight up a winding trail through the undergrowth. The scents of the other Sisters grew stronger as Squirrelflight followed Sunrise uphill, and soon she spotted Snow’s tail flicking through a swath of bracken ahead. Sunrise quickened her pace and Squirrelflight followed, and she was surprised to find herself at the top of the hill once she pushed through a final barrier of ferns.

The other Sisters were lined along the crest of the hilltop, gazing at the land beyond. Grass and Stone stared into the distance, their fluffy pelts ruffled by the wind. As they looked back at the Sisters, Squirrelflight noticed their eyes glittering with excitement. Were they glad to be leaving? She couldn’t think about it more, though, as the Sisters began to form a circle around the two toms. Moonlight padded forward, first touching her nose to Grass’s ear, then to Stone’s. “I wish you well,” she murmured to them.

Snow took her place as Moonlight returned to the circle. The white molly nuzzled each tom fondly before stepping away. One by one, each Sister said goodbye to the brothers. Squirrelflight felt her throat tighten as Tempest approached them. She was the last to do so, and her amber eyes shone with grief as she pressed her muzzle to Grass’s cheek. “Take care of yourselves,” she whispered before turning to Stone. “Be happy, you two.”

Stone’s own amber eyes shone with sadness, and he rubbed his nose along his mother’s cheek. “We will always remember you,” he whispered back, the love between them unsaid but strong. He pulled away and glanced at Grass. The two toms seemed to share a moment of understanding, then blinked and looked away.

Tempest padded back to join her Sisters. Hawk and Snow pressed against her sides as Moonlight dipped her head to the young toms. “This is the beginning of your grand adventure,” she told them. “You must walk through the night, never looking back, and at dawn you will have left your kithood behind and become true toms. May the ancestors who walk the land find you and give you guidance.”

Stone dipped his head. “Thank you, Mother,” he mewed. Grass, meanwhile, shifted his paws, suddenly seeming uncertain.

“Wander in peace,” Moonlight finished, taking a step back.

The Sisters raised their voices to the sky. “Wander in peace,” they echoed.

All the Sisters then shifted, opening the circle and allowing Grass and Stone to pass through. The two toms padded away together, following the slope of the hill down to the next valley.

Squirrelflight glanced back over her shoulder. She briefly wondered if she could give up all the toms in her life if it meant a peaceful life like Sisters had.  _ No, I can’t give them up, _ she thought, missing her family once again. From here, she could see the edge of the forest by the lake, and make out the very top of the abandoned Twoleg nest.  _ ThunderClan territory… home.  _ She glanced wistfully towards it. What was Bramblestar doing right now? Was the Clan settling down for the night? Or was a patrol out searching for her? How were her kits handling her being missing? It hurt her to know Sparkpelt had to be the one to break the news. She couldn’t let them worry any longer. She had to find a way to get home with Leafstar.

Grass and Stone had vanished into the shadows, but the Sisters stood watching silently, as if they were trying to breathe in every last bit of their scents. Tempest leaned softly against Snow, her eyes misty with tears.

Squirrelflight’s heart twisted with sadness as they finally began to head back to camp. Tomorrow, when the Sisters’ loss was less raw, she’d ask Moonlight again if she and Leafstar could return to their Clans. If she explained how much she missed her Clan, especially her kin, perhaps the Sisters would understand her longing to go home. Would they believe her promise to prevent her Clanmates from coming here until they had left? Would she be able to keep her promise? She forced herself to push the thoughts away, instead falling asleep next to Leafstar as her head swam with thoughts of her kits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leafstar sees Treewhisker in Ice and Sunrise, and she can see her own kits (but especially Firefern) in Creek


	8. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Towards the end of this chapter, there is a brief bit of transphobia. It's quickly apologized for, but I'm giving you a warning nonetheless.

It was barely dawn when Squirrelflight jerked awake, nose twitching. The air was thick with the scent of nighttime dew that had yet to burn off as the sun rose, but she could smell something else in the darkness. Something familiar, warm and comforting and reminding her of home. She scrambled to her paws. Bramblestar! He was close, but she could smell many other cats, both ThunderClan and SkyClan. She picked out the scents of Lionblaze and Sparkpelt with ease, and soon after recognized Thornclaw and Larksong with them. The SkyClan cats were a bit harder for her to discern, but she recognized Cherrytail, Tinycloud, and Macgyver among them. “Leafstar, wake up!”

Leafstar lifted her head blearily, slowly blinking sleep out of her eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Quick!” Squirrelflight darted to the entrance. “They’re here! A rescue party’s here for us!”

As she spoke, wails shrilled outside the den, and her pelt spiked in alarm. She couldn’t let them fight, and she especially couldn’t let any cat be injured. “Stop!” she yowled as she burst out of the den, skidding to a halt as she saw Clan warriors facing the Sisters.

Pale in the faint dawn light, Snow and Tempest had puffed out their fur. With flattened ears and their lips drawn back, they hissed at the patrols. Thornclaw, Lionblaze, Tinycloud, and another SkyClan warrior she quickly recognized as Hawkwing were snarling back at them. Furze, Sunrise, and Hawk slid like hissing snakes around their sisters as the more of the patrol--Bramblestar, Larksong, Sparkpelt, Macgyver, Cherrytail, Treewhisker, and Blossomheart--fanned out around the others. Both groups of cats glared at each other through slitted eyes, though Bramblestar’s widened when he heard Squirrelflight.

“Wait!” Squirrelflight threw herself between the Clan cats and the Sisters. The ThunderClan and SkyClan cats outnumbered the Sisters. She spotted Plumwillow and Sagenose pushing through the wall of their Clanmates, and Whitewing, Hazeltail, and Honeyfur stepped out from behind Bramblestar, their teeth bared. “You can’t fight!”

Confusion clouded Bramblestar’s gaze, mixed with relief.

Leafstar limped from the den and stopped at the edge of the clearing, her amber eyes round with alarm. “Listen to her,” she told them.

Macgyver and Hawkwing stared at them, trying to understand.

“They haven’t harmed us,” Squirrelflight told them. She knew it was a lie, as Snow had injured Leafstar, but only because she had tried to escape. The truth would come later, after she had diffused the rage between the groups.

Creek, Flurry, and Sparrow darted from the shadows and stood beside their mothers. Moonlight hurried from the back of her clearing, weaving between her campmates with surprising agility. She stopped in front of the group, staring at Bramblestar.

Squirrelflight was shocked at how small the Clan cats compared to the Sisters. She’d grown used to them, forgetting how large they truly were. Their fur was longer than that of most Clan cats, and their bodies much larger as well. Even Bramblestar, who was a large cat by Clan standards, was shorter than Moonlight. She suddenly wondered if, even with all their training, the Clans could win a fight against the Sisters. She brushed the thought away.  _ Of course we can, _ she thought.  _ Skill always beats brute strength. _ But doubt still lingered in her mind. Who’s to say the Sisters didn’t have skill to match their strength?

Moonlight lashed her tail, glaring at the mixed patrol. “What are you doing in our camp?” she hissed, unsheathing her claws.

Though his ears were flat, Bramblestar answered calmly, “We’ve come to fetch our Clanmates.” He glanced at Squirrelflight, and she could see the pleading look in his amber eyes.

Glancing at the other members of the patrol, worry wormed in Squirrelflight’s belly. Thornclaw was still baring his teeth at the Sisters, and Lionblaze and Sparkpelt were digging their claws into the ground. They were probably wondering why in StarClan’s name she was defending her captors.

“They shouldn’t be here,” Macgyver added, flattening his fur. “Their Clans need them.”

“Your Clanmates are our guests,” Moonlight told him, eyes narrow.

Surprised, Bramblestar took a step towards Squirrelflight. “Is this true?”

Before she could respond, Moonlight answered for her. “We have treated them like our Sisters.”

Sparkpelt flicked her tail angrily. “They haven’t stayed here voluntarily! No warrior would! You’ve been holding them here against their will!”

“It was necessary,” Moonlight growled, taking a step closer to the Clan cats.

Cherrytail glared at her. “Why was it necessary to keep our  _ leader  _ and ThunderClan’s  _ deputy  _ captive? They’re among the most important members of their Clans, and we need them with us.”

Squirrelflight looked at Moonlight and Bramblestar as she stood between them. “They were afraid that we’d bring an invasion if they let us go,” she said. “They kept us here thinking it would be safer.”

Bramblestar looked even more confused now. “They must have known we’d come after you, though?”

“They’re not Clan cats, though,” Squirrelflight explained. “They didn’t understand just how hard you would try to get us back.”

“We tried to warn them,” Leafstar added, now standing beside Macgyver.

“They’ve only been with us for two days.” Moonlight scanned the large patrol curiously. “That’s not a long time to be away from home. Don’t any of you ever wander?”

Hawkwing growled, balking at the idea. “We’re warriors, not loners. We stay with our Clan and support our Clanmates.”

The Sisters exchanged glances with each other, but no cat spoke.

Bramblestar let himself relax, now knowing there wouldn’t be a fight. Around him, the other Clan cats shifted self-consciously, as though suddenly wondering why they were here if Squirrelflight and Leafstar weren’t actively in danger.

Squirrelflight padded to Bramblestar’s side, burying her face in his neck fur. Her heart quickened instinctively as she inhaled his scent. Did he feel the same way? He must have, considering the relief she saw in his eyes when she bolted from her den. “I’m glad you came to get us,” she mewed as she pulled back, touching her muzzle to his.

“Of course I came,” he mewed, pulling back a bit. Concern filled his amber eyes as he blinked at her. “Are you really okay, though? I saw Leafstar was limping.”

“I’m fine,” she replied. “I’ll explain when we leave.”

Leafstar, leaning on Macgyver, started limping back to her Clanmates.

“Not so fast.” Snow darted from the group and blocked them from their Clanmates. “We haven’t said you can leave yet, and no amount of toms in our camp will stop us.”

“But why keep us now?” Leafstar asked, blinking at the white molly. “Our Clanmates know where your camp is, so there’s nothing left to hide.”

“No,” Snow agreed, her pelt rippling along her spine, “but as long as you’re our guests, your friends there will have to respect our boundaries.”

Squirrelflight looked at her in surprise. “I thought the Sisters didn’t have boundaries.”

“Not permanently,” Snow conceded, her white tail swishing. “But when one of us is nearly ready to kit, we must mark out some sort of territory to protect both her and her newborns.”

Bramblestar’s gaze flitted around the Sisters, stopping as it reached Moonlight. He dipped his head, ears flat again. “My apologies. I should have seen that you are expecting kits.”

Squirrelflight blinked at him. “Do you see why I couldn’t let you fight now?”

He nodded, but said nothing to her. “You can’t keep Leafstar and Squirrelflight here, though. They’re coming home with us now.”

As he spoke, Treewhisker pushed his way to the front. The SkyClan moggy-tom’s eyes were on Moonlight, and anxiety spiked in Squirrelflight’s belly as she watched him. Why was Treewhisker, a mediator, glaring at the gray molly so resentfully.  _ Could she be… _ she thought, before Treewhisker cut her off.

“Hello,  _ Mother _ ,” he spat.

Squirrelflight blinked in surprise.  _ Mother? _ Had he once been part of this group, but forced to leave at six moons old? She stiffened as another thought flashed in her mind. Were they actually mother and son? As she looked at them, the resemblance became clearer. Though Treewhisker was small, he had the same muscular build and long, thick pelt that the other sisters had, and he had a dark determination in his amber eyes that reminded her of Moonlight.  _ He looks an awful lot like Sunrise as well, _ she thought.  _ Could they be littermates? _

Moonlight stared back at Treewhisker, blankness giving way to excitement as she recognized him. “Earth!” Sunrise and Ice, upon hearing Moonlight’s excited cry, stepped forward, their tails rising in excitement, but Treewhisker’s next words had them pause.

“I’m not Earth anymore.” Anger hardened Treewhisker’s mew. “I named myself Tree after you sent me away, and took the name Treewhisker when I joined SkyClan.”

“Treewhisker,” Moonlight whispered, as though testing his new name. She tipped her head. “I like it. It suits you. You were always a strong-minded kit.”

“Is that why you abandoned me?”

“ _ Abandoned _ you?” Moonlight stepped back, surprised. “You were six moons old. You could hunt for yourself and fight off any threats toward you, just like any other tom.”

“Barely,” Treewhisker hissed. “I hardly knew how to hunt or fight because I was still coping with losing Stream!”

“But the Claw Stars were pointing to the sunset. It was time for you to wander.”

“You let the stars dictate my fate, rather than making sure I was ready to survive.” Treewhisker held his mother’s gaze scornfully for a moment longer, then looked away.

Squirrelflight glanced around at the Sisters. They were all shifting uncomfortably. Sunrise and Ice stared at their paws guiltily, the former’s ears flat. Perhaps their way of life was more complicated than she had thought. Petal and Sunshine were pressed together, grief clouding their eyes. Did that have to do with whoever Stream was? Pushing the thought away, she spotted Creek shooting a nervous glance at his mother. Was he anxious about leaving when his time to wander came?

Bramblestar moved beside Treewhisker, Leafstar quickly following. “Treewhisker is one of us now,” she mewed, staring Moonlight down. “If he wishes to know you better, that’s up to him.”

“But he came here for the same reason we did,” Bramblestar added, unsheathing his claws as a warning. “You are holding our Clanmates against their will. Let them go!”

“You may be carrying kits,” Thornclaw added, “but that doesn’t mean we won’t fight to get our Clanmates back.”

As Moonlight hesitated, Squirrelflight saw Plumwillow and Sparkpelt drop into battle stances. Hawkwing and Honeyfur bared their teeth, growling at the Sisters. Her breath caught in her throat. “They only want us to stay here until Moonlight’s kits are ready to travel,” she mewed quickly, trying once again to avoid a fight.

Bramblestar looked at her incredulously. “Do you want to stay with them until then?”

“Of course I don’t!” Squirrelflight blinked at her mate. “But they mean us no harm. If we wait, this territory will be free for SkyClan to take in about two moons--before greenleaf is over.”

Bramblestar glanced at Leafstar and Macgyver before looking back at his mate. “That’s a decision for Leafstar and the rest of SkyClan to make.”

Leafstar whisked her tail. “This is good land, and I think SkyClan would be happy here.” Relief washed over Squirrelflight’s pelt. Leafstar was backing her up, and she looked gratefully at her as the SkyClan leader went on. “I’m more than willing to give the Sisters two moons to move on.” She switched her gaze to Moonlight. “But in return, they must let us go back to our Clans. I’m not staying here another day.”

Moonlight dipped her head. “You may go.” She lifted her gaze to Bramblestar, eyes narrowed. “We are bigger than you, and stronger,” she told him. “Any battle between our groups would be bloody and full of needless death. But there is no need to fight if you leave us in peace.”

Bramblestar dipped his head. “Strength doesn’t always win battles,” he remarked, “but we will leave you in peace.”

Plumwillow hissed. “You held our leader captive!”

“She looks wounded,” Sagenose growled, taking a step forward.

Did the Clan cats, especially the SkyClan ones, want revenge? Squirrelflight gazed pleadingly at Bramblestar. “Let’s go, please.”

Larksong stepped forward. “If they’re letting Squirrelflight and Leafstar leave, there’s no need to fight. Leafstar’s wound will heal faster if she returns home right away.”

Squirrelflight looked at the young molly, grateful for his sense. He was thinking with his head rather than his claws. Sparkpelt had chosen a good mate.

“Very well.” Bramblestar signaled with his tail, and the Clan cats began to turn toward the fern entrance before Snow stopped them again.

“You’re really going to take the word of these  _ toms _ ?” she hissed, glaring daggers at Larksong, whose ears flattened as he looked at the ground. “How do we know we can trust they’ll be peaceful?”

“I’m not a tom,” Larksong mumbled, Sparkpelt coming to stand beside him. His dark eyes seemed to be even darker as he looked back up at Snow. “I may have been born thinking I was a tom, and I may still use pronouns usually used for toms, but I know I’m a molly, and I don’t appreciate being called otherwise.”

“If you want to take issue with him,” Sparkpelt added, growling, “you’ll have to go through me. He’s my mate, and I won’t let you talk to him like that!”

“And me as well,” Blossomheart added, padding up to Snow. “I was born thinking I was a tom like he was, but I realized when I was very young that I wasn’t one. It doesn’t make me any less of a molly, and it doesn’t make him any less of one either.”

Snow was taken aback by this. After a few tense moments of silence, she dipped her head. “My apologies,” she mewed. “I didn’t realize you two were trueheart mollies.”

“Trueheart mollies?” Larksong mewed, confused. “What does that mean?”

“Truehearts are cats who were born believing they were a tom or molly, but realized as they grew up that they weren’t,” the white molly explained. “One of my former mates was a trueheart molly like you two. We had a daughter together, and Moonlight even offered to let her travel with us, but she declined. She was happier in the barn she lived at.”

“And one of my sons, Snail, was a trueheart tom,” added Hawk, padding forward to stand with her Sister. “The land recognized him as a tom after he told us, and he went to wander with his brother Chestnut.”

“You are free to leave now,” Snow mewed. “I trust Squirrelflight and Leafstar will hold all of you to your word.” She looked to Larksong and Blossomheart again. “I apologize for assuming you two were toms, especially while you were among Sisters.”

Blossomheart said nothing as she left with her Clanmates, but Larksong gave Snow a polite nod before he and Sparkpelt left, tails twined.

Squirrelflight lingered behind as the last of the patrol left, catching Moonlight’s eyes. “Thank you for sharing your fresh-kill with us,” she mewed.

“I am sorry that we met under such circumstances,” the gray molly replied. “If we meet again, I hope that it will be as friends instead of enemies.”

Leafstar eyed Moonlight but didn’t speak. She was far less grateful for the Sisters’ hospitality, likely due to her injury. Still, she nodded curtly at them before limping after her Clanmates.

“I hope your kitting goes well.” Squirrelflight dipped her head to Moonlight.

“Thank you.” Moonlight swished her tail before eyeing the entrance to make sure the Clan cats were leaving.

“Are you coming?” Bramblestar was standing at the entrance, waiting for Squirrelflight. “I’m sure Alderheart and Jayfeather want to see you again.”

“I have to go,” Squirrelflight mewed, turning away from Moonlight and heading towards her mate. “I hope we meet again on better terms.”

Bramblestar waited for her to push through the ferns, then followed her out of camp. Her Clanmates wound their way out of the valley, and she padded after them, relieved to be heading home. SkyClan had separated from them, taking a different path through the hills to their territory.

“What in StarClan were you thinking?!” Bramblestar fell in beside her.

Squirrelflight stiffened, bracing herself for his ire. “I’m sorry.”

“Why would you split up the patrol in unfamiliar territory like that?” His amber eyes were wide from fear. “Sparkpelt nearly worried herself sick when you didn’t come back, and the whole Clan was scared!”

“I’m sorry I worried you all so much,” she mewed, leaning against Bramblestar. She was relieved that he wasn’t exactly angry with her, just worried for her safety. “We had planned to just hunt quickly and regroup. I hadn’t even realized how far Leafstar and I had gone until it was too late.”

Bramblestar wrapped his tail around her back. “I’m sorry I started yelling at you,” he mewed. “I’m not ready to lose you, but I thought I had when Sparkpelt came back without you. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“And I’m glad to be going home,” Squirrelflight sighed. The path snaked into a narrow gorge, their Clanmates padding beneath overhanging rock. Above them, they could see a narrow band of sky lightening as the sun rose. As the trail opened into another valley, she added. “I want the Clans to be okay again. I thought this land was not occupied by other cats because Mousewhisker said any scents were stale.” She looked ahead to Lionblaze and Sparkpelt, who were padding close to each other and talking quietly. “I hadn’t expected to be taken prisoner, but I wasn’t hurt. Leafstar was injured in an escape attempt the first night, but the Sisters were treating her wound.”

“I’m glad they took care of you two, at least,” Bramblestar purred. “But why didn’t you try to escape?”

“Because I knew you’d bring a patrol once you knew we were missing,” she replied. “I didn’t see a point in trying to provoke them. You saw how big they were, and there was no way Leafstar and I could have taken them on. Besides, I learned a lot about them, and their way of life is pretty interesting.”

“But you did want to come home, right?” Worry lined Bramblestar’s mew. Was he really that concerned over her and her loyalties?

“Of course I wanted to come home, mouse-brain.” She purred, hoping to soothe his worries. “I’m your deputy. ThunderClan needs me. _You_ need me.”

Bramblestar relaxed. “Just… please do one thing for me,” he mewed. “Please don’t split up patrols like that again, especially not in unfamiliar territory. I can’t have you going off on your own like that and potentially risking your life.” He gave her a quick lick between her ears before he pulled ahead to lead the patrol back home. The abandoned Twoleg nest was in sight, so they would be home by sunhigh.

Squirrelflight still trailed behind, and only padded forward to walk with Lionblaze. Her son gave her a gentle nudge with his head as a greeting, and she could see he had calmed down now that he knew she was fine. Exhaustion was creeping into her pelt as she leaned on her son’s shoulder, and the calm quiet of the patrol almost lulled her to sleep. It was almost like the calm she felt in the Sisters’ camp. She wanted to go back to them again, just as a friendly visit to show the Clans could be their allies.

For now, though, she wanted nothing more than to curl up with Bramblestar and sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to make the Sisters less TERF-y because I'm trans and I don't feel like writing them as massively transphobic.
> 
> Snow's former mate is Blade, who was a hybrid kittypet-loner barn cat like Daisy was. She'll come up again later. Their daughter was Haze, who was killed in the same storm that killed Stream.
> 
> Treewhisker will get nice things, I promise.
> 
> The entire point of this rewrite is to make Bramblestar a better person and especially a better mate, so the argument he and Squirrelflight had in canon was changed to their exchange here.
> 
> Tried to have a little bit of sibling stuff between Lionblaze and Sparkpelt.


	9. Chapter 7

Twirlpaw skidded to a stop as he crossed the clearing, a bundle of fresh moss for the elders’ den clenched in his jaws. He dropped it as he reached Squirrelflight, nearly bouncing around her with excitement. “I’m glad you’re back. Poppyfrost said the Sisters wanted to keep you captive _forever_.” He blinked at her eagerly, green eyes wide. “She said they were twice the size of normal cats, and even towered over _Bramblestar_! Were they scary?”

Squirrelflight twitched her tail, resisting the urge to snap at the young apprentice. She’d lost count of the number of times she’d answered questions about the Sisters since she’d returned yesterday. _I won’t snap at Twirlpaw,_ she thought. _He’s just curious, and he’s a new apprentice, so his curiosity is understandable._ “They weren’t planning to keep us captive for more than two moons,” she told him patiently. “And they were surprisingly nice.”

Twirlpaw looked puzzled at her statement. “But they held you and Leafstar hostage.”

“Yes, they did, but they shared their prey with us and took care of Leafstar’s wounded leg.” She could understand the young tom being surprised that cats could be kind and still stand up for themselves, especially those outside the Clans.

Twirlpaw cocked his head to one side. “Is that why you didn’t try to escape?”

Squirrelflight swallowed back irritation, reminding herself that Twirlpaw was young and curious. “Leafstar’s injury made it hard to escape and nearly impossible to outrun a patrol. I wasn’t going to leave her, so I stayed.”

“But you said they were nice! She would’ve been okay, right?”

“It wouldn’t have been right to escape by myself.” _Did Ivypool and Fernsong teach their kits nothing about loyalty?_ she thought angrily, before pushing the thought away. Twirlpaw was only six moons old, and even if he knew about loyalty, he likely didn’t fully understand it yet. She shouldn't doubt his parents, especially not Ivypool after everything she went through to help the Clans.

Luckily for her, the tabby tom had moved on. “Were they rogues?” He stared at her intently, his green eyes wide. “Bristlepaw said they used to be part of Darktail’s Kin. Is that true?”

“Of course they weren’t,” Squirrelflight replied, flicking her tail sharply, “but even if they were former members, it was clear they weren’t like the Kin was. They were peaceful.” She was relieved to see Poppyfrost padding over from the fresh-kill pile as she finished speaking.

The tortoiseshell and white warrior looked sternly at her apprentice. “Shouldn’t you be cleaning out the elders’ den?”

Twirlpaw’s tail drooped. “I just wanted to know more about the new Clan Squirrelflight found.”

“I told you,” Poppyfrost mewed, her voice softer now, “it’s not a Clan. The Sisters are just a group of cats living near the mountains. It was just luck that Squirrelflight came across them at all.”

“Why were you near the mountains, though?” Twirlpaw asked, blinking eagerly at Squirrelflight. “Are we moving there? Thriftpaw told me one of the Clans has to move before leaf-bare or we’ll all starve!”

“No one is going to starve, Twirlpaw.” Poppyfrost stroked the young tom’s back with her tail, looking apologetically at Squirrelflight. “Trying to keep apprentices from gossiping is like trying to keep birds from singing.”

Squirrelflight’s gaze drifted around the clearing. The whole Clan had been talking about her time with the Sisters since she’d gotten back--some more negatively than others. Now, her Clanmates were settling down for a midday meal, and slowly settling down about the Sisters as well. Whitewing and Honeyfur each carried a mouse from the fresh-kill pile. Larksong dropped a fat vole at Dewnose’s paws before lying down with Sparkpelt. Finleap and Twigshade settled beside the warriors’ den, snatching quick glances at Squirrelflight before tucking into a small rabbit. Rosepetal blinked at her sympathetically, as though she just recovered from an illness.

Graystripe sat beside Millie outside the elders’ den. The tabby molly looked gaunt, more so than she had before Squirrelflight had gone on her mission, and Graystripe was nearly supporting her. _She’s almost halfway to StarClan,_ Squirrelflight thought sadly, before Graystripe interrupted her thoughts. “You must be glad to be back, Squirrelflight,” he called from across the clearing. “Another cat’s food never tastes as good as your own.”

“Imagine!” Cloudtail stretched out beside him. “A group of cats with no toms. Who’s ever heard of such a thing! I hope they didn’t give you any ideas.” He blinked teasingly at Squirrelflight, purring. “I don’t know what Graystripe and I would do if Millie and Brightheart threw us out!”

Millie purred roughly. “The den would be a lot neater.”

Graystripe nudged her cheek with his nose, purring. “But you’d miss me, right?”

Millie nosed him away, eyes shimmering with affection. “Of course I would, you old fool!” For a moment, the fragility that had appeared in the old molly’s face recently had vanished, and she looked younger and healthier again.

Small stones showered from the rock tumble, and Squirrelflight looked up to see Bramblestar scrambling down from the Highledge. She smiled warmly up at him, their eyes meeting as he finally reached the ground. Since she’d returned from the Sisters’ camp, he insisted she stay close for a few days, as if making sure she wasn’t going to get captured accidentally again. While she understood why he wanted to keep her close, it was starting to get suffocating, and she hoped he would let up sooner than later. The rest of the Clan was starting to relax, so hopefully he would follow. Still, she couldn't say she wasn't enjoying spending time with him again. They'd both been so busy with their duties so it was hard to have some time together.

“Squirrelflight,” Bramblestar mewed warmly, padding towards her.

Squirrelflight rubbed against him once he was close enough. “Bramblestar.”

“Can we talk?” he mewed, glancing around the clearing. “Alone, preferably.”

Squirrelflight nodded and Bramblestar padded into the shadow of the Highledge, flicking his tail for her to follow.

“I wanted to apologize for how I’ve acted the past few days,” Bramblestar mewed, lowering his voice. “I’ve been practically hovering over you because I was scared to lose you again, but you’re my deputy. I need to have more faith in you. You're not a reckless apprentice.”

Squirrelflight rubbed her cheek against his. “I understand why you did it,” she replied. “I was gone for two days, with no scent trail to follow.”

“But I shouldn’t be so paranoid,” Bramblestar mewed. “You’re just as capable of looking after yourself as I am. You've been a warrior for many seasons, so I shouldn't suddenly treat you like a new apprentice.”

Things were quiet between them for a moment, before Bramblestar started again, “I think we should reinforce scent markers by the abandoned Twoleg nest, just to make sure the Sisters are aware of our border.”

Squirrelflight nodded, but soon her belly tightened as she thought of something. “But won’t that make us seem aggressive to them?” she asked. “We promised to leave them in peace, after all.”

“I understand your concerns,” Bramblestar replied, “but this is also to keep the worries of other cats at bay. Everyone is nervous about them due to how large they are, and I figured having a clearly-defined border would keep them from coming here on accident.”

“But what if they come to us for something?” Thoughts were swirling in Squirrelflight’s head, all sorts of “what if” scenarios being formed. “What if one of the other Clans attacks them?”

“Then we’ll help if they need it.” Bramblestar ran his tail down Squirrelflight’s spine. “Otherwise, we’ll leave them alone. I want them to know that we mean no harm.”

Squirrelflight took a deep breath, forcing her racing thoughts to calm. “Okay,” she finally replied. “Sounds like a solid plan. I’ll be sure to send a patrol out tomorrow to mark the border, but I don’t think we should mark it every day.”

Bramblestar was quiet, thinking about what she had to say. Finally, he nodded. “Daily marking might make them think we’re trying to be aggressive. They’re not like the other Clans, where they know to expect the border markers refreshed daily.”

Squirrelflight opened her mouth to add more, but stopped when she spotted Sparkpelt staring at them from across the clearing. Her green gaze flicked between her parents as she padded over to them. “Is everything okay?”

“Of course everything’s okay,” Squirrelflight replied, touching noses with her daughter. “We were just discussing what to do about the Sisters since some of the Clan is concerned about them.”

Sparkpelt looked doubtful at first, but seeing how earnest her parents were dove that away. “I wanted to talk to you both,” she mewed, slightly hesitant, “but I can come back later if you’re busy.”

“No, you’re fine, Sparkpelt,” Squirrelflight mewed quickly.

“You’re not interrupting us,” Bramblestar added as he padded over to join them, greeting Sparkpelt with a touch of his nose. “What do you want to talk to us about?”

Though she started smiling, Squirrelflight could see Sparkpelt was incredibly anxious. Claws of fear gripped her heart. Did something bad happen to her? Was she suddenly ill? Her pelt was glossy and her eyes were bright, so nothing seemed wrong, but Squirrelflight couldn’t be sure.

“I’m expecting kits,” she mewed finally.

The three of them were quiet for a moment, Squirrelflight and Bramblestar processing Sparkpelt’s reveal, before Squirrelflight broke into a wide grin. “Oh, Sparkpelt, that’s wonderful!” Happiness surged beneath her pelt as she glanced to where Larksong was sitting. He had rejoined Dewnose, chatting with him as they finished eating. His eyes were sparkling, and he glanced over at Sparkpelt for a moment. They were both going to be mothers, and both were fantastic warriors as well. If she had any doubts about Sparkpelt and Alderheart’s happiness, this sent them away. What more could she want?

And yet, grief tugged at Squirrelflight’s belly. She longed for kits once again, and would have to wait for leaf-bare at the earliest to have them because of Bramblestar’s worries. Suddenly, the possibility of a new litter seemed so far away. Her thoughts spiraled. Was she foolish for wanting more kits? Should she resign herself to spending the rest of her days watching her Clan grow and change while she simply grew old and died?

“Squirrelflight?” Sparkpelt blinked at her anxiously. “You are pleased, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am!” She nuzzled her daughter gently. “And I’m sure Bramblestar is, too. You and Larksong will be great mothers to your kits.” She cast a glance back at Bramblestar.

Bramblestar stared back at her, sympathy glistening in his amber eyes. Had he guessed what she’d been thinking about? As she caught his eye, he stepped forward and touched his nose to Sparkpelt’s head. “That’s great news, Sparkpelt,” he purred. “We’re both very happy for you. When are the kits due?”

“I’m not sure.” Sparkpelt was purring, her pelt fluffed out with happiness.

Squirrelflight glanced at her daughter’s belly, which was already starting to swell. “It looks like it won’t be too long,” she mewed warmly. “Maybe a moon or so?”

Sparkpelt pressed her cheek against Squirrelflight. “I can’t wait to be a mother!” She turned and bounded over to Larksong, who jumped to his paws and brushed against her.

Squirrelflight turned back to Bramblestar, forcing her feelings to harden again. She couldn’t break down in front of him, especially after receiving such good news from their daughter.

Bramblestar was gazing at her kindly, his amber eyes gentle. “I know that must have been difficult for you,” he murmured, resting his tail tip on her shoulder.

Squirrelflight stiffened guiltily. So he knew how badly it was affecting me, she thought. Her shame increased, burning under her pelt. She should be happy for Sparkpelt, not jealous and grieving. “I’m happy for Sparkpelt,” she mewed curtly. “I’m happy for her and Larksong. They’ll be great mothers.”

“But I know how much you want another litter yourself,” he mewed softly.

She narrowed her eyes, her emotions flaring to anger. “And I know how much you don’t want me to have them because you’re too scared.” Before he could respond, she turned her tail on him and marched away. With every pawstep, her anger melted and was replaced with guilt. Why did she say that? He’s been nothing but kind about this issue, and even offered a middle ground with her to ask Jessy. Overwhelmed, she rushed to the medicine den. She needed to share her feelings with some cat, and she knew Leafpool would understand her predicament.

Squirrelflight ducked through the brambles, spotting Alderheart crouching beside the pool sorting herbs. Further back, Leafpool was plucking old moss from one of the nests they kept for sick cats. She looked up as Squirrelflight entered, her eyes narrowing as she saw her sister’s face. “Is everything okay?”

“Not really,” Squirrelflight mewed huskily, feeling her entire body sag from her burden.

“Come help me collect herbs,” Leafpool mewed gently, padding towards the entrance.

Alderheart looked up from his work. “But we collected herbs this morning.”

“I know,” Leafpool replied, whisking her tail, “but I think we need some more marigold. Greenleaf may have just started, but it won’t flower forever.” Quickly, she bustled Squirrelflight outside. “What happened?” she asked as they padded into the sunlight.

“It’s nothing, really,” Squirrelflight mewed. She hesitated, before adding. “I’m probably being oversensitive.”

Leafpool whisked her onward. “Is it Sparkpelt’s news?” The tabby molly reached the camp entrance and ducked through.

Squirrelflight hurried after her sister. “How did you know?”

“I was the one who confirmed she was expecting. I know how to tell when a cat is expecting a litter.” Leafpool stopped and looked at Squirrelflight. “I also remember you telling me how much you wanted another litter of your own.”

Squirrelflight just stared at her for a bit. “I know I should be happy.”

Leafpool swished her tail, starting to walk again. “Come on, some fresh air will do you good.” Smiling back at her sister, she broke into a run, racing upslope towards the beech grove.

Squirrelflight followed, relishing in the breeze as it streamed through her fur. The thrum of their paws on the forest floor was soothing, and the familiar sight of the trees and brambles reassured her.

Leafpool slowed down as the trees opened into a small clearing. Bright marigold flowers clustered between the ferns, and she led Squirrelflight to a patch of orange where the flowers were especially thick. Crouching beside it, the tabby medicine cat tugged out a stalk with her teeth and dropped it on the ground beside her. She looked at Squirrelflight, motioning with her tail for her sister to join her. “It’s okay to be sad.”

“Is it?” Squirrelflight blinked at her.

“It must be hard to hear that Sparkpelt is expecting when you aren’t.” She tipped her head sympathetically.

Squirrelflight stared down at her paws. “I feel selfish.”

“It’s not selfish to want kits.”

“I’m happy for Sparkpelt.” Squirrelflight looked earnestly at Leafpool. “You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course you are.”

Squirrelflight sat down beside her sister. “It’s just going to be difficult,” she sighed. Guilt stabbed at her again. “My own kit is having kits of her own. I’m not ready to be that old, Leafpool. I want another chance to have kits. I  _ know  _ Sparkpelt deserves to be happy, but it’s so hard watching another cat--my own  _ daughter _ \--get what I want so much.”

“You deserve to be happy, too.” Leafpool’s eyes rounded with sympathy.

“Bramblestar’s not ready to try for another litter yet because he’s scared to lose either the kits or me, and I’m probably going to die without having any more kits.” Squirrelflight could feel herself sinking into self-pity, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be happy again.”

Leafpool plucked another marigold stalk out with her teeth. “Now you and I both know that’s not true.”

“But it’s how I feel.” Squirrelflight glanced back toward the stone hollow. “Bramblestar’s fears are starting to get to me. I don’t want to be remembered as the ThunderClan deputy who died while kitting.”

“You and Bramblestar both need some time to calm down from this.” Leafpool straightened, stopping her work and padding closer to Squirrelflight. “He was terrified when you went missing. He thought you were dead. It makes sense that he’s a bit paranoid right now, but his emotions are running on to you.”

“Everything I do just… it seems wrong right now. He tried to be sympathetic knowing I wanted kits after Sparkpelt told us, but I snapped at him instead.” Squirrelflight suddenly felt as heavy as stone. “He’s probably right that I shouldn’t carry another litter, though. I had such a hard time carrying Alderheart and Sparkpelt, and lost two of the kits before they had a chance to become apprentices. But Sparkpelt…” Her shoulders sagged. “I hope she didn’t see I was upset. I’m happy for her, I really am, but it’s hard to hide how I--”

Leafpool pressed her muzzle against Squirrelflight’s cheek, cutting her off from her spiral. “It’s okay, Squirrelflight. You don’t have to be perfect all the time.” She purred softly, and Squirrelflight felt her pain slowly ebb away as the warmth from Leafpool’s cheek seeped into hers.

Squirrelflight drew away slowly, appreciating her sister more than ever. Leafpool was still sympathetic, even after so much loss. “I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been for you all these moons. You’ve had to watch so many Clanmates have and raise kits after you had to give up your own. While I was raising Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather, loving them as though I was the one who had them, I never understood just how much it must have hurt you.”

Leafpool met her gaze steadily, amber meeting green. “I’m grateful you risked so much to make sure I didn’t lose my place as the Clan’s medicine cat,” she mewed softly. “And in a way, we raised them together. As a medicine cat, I was always there for every kit in the Clan, so I got to see and take care of them.”

Squirrelflight thought of her time with the Sisters. Moonlight said they were all mothers to the kits. “That’s how the Sisters raise their kits. Every cat is a mother to every kit, and a sister to their campmates,” she told Leafpool. “In the Sisters, no cat would’ve made you choose between your kits and being a medicine cat. With them, there are no rules saying who can and can’t have kits, or who you can have kits with.”

“But we’re not with the Sisters; we’re Clan cats,” Leafpool mewed, gaze hardening. “And no cat  _ made  _ me give up my kits. I did what I thought was best.” Her mew was suddenly harsh and brittle, and Squirrelflight realized she’d struck a nerve. “There’s no point in imagining that it could have happened any other way. Not only was my bond with StarClan too strong for me to even think about giving that up, but I was the only medicine cat in the Clan. Brightheart wouldn’t have been able to take over forever.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do the Sisters even share with their ancestors?”

“I don’t know,” Squirrelflight replied finally. “Moonlight mentioned ancestors, but I don’t think they share with them like we share with StarClan. They were all descended from a family of kittypets.”

Leafpool huffed. “How can they even  _ begin  _ to understand the bond we have with StarClan and the sacrifices we make to honor it? There’s so much more to being a medicine cat than knowing the herbs of the forest or how to cure ailments like bellyaches. Any cat can do that with enough training, but I doubt these Sisters know what a prophecy is. From what you say, it sounds like they’re too busy living in the moment to think about what lies in their past or future.” She sniffed. “I couldn’t  _ ever  _ live like that.”

Squirrelflight dipped her head, resisting the urge to lick her chest in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just interesting seeing other cats living so differently. It’s like meeting the Tribe all over again.” Squirrelflight couldn’t help but think it might be nice to live in the moment, rather than being weighed down by ancient rules and traditions set by her ancestors. She shook out her fur, deciding to change the subject. “But the Sisters will move on soon enough, and SkyClan can have their land.”

“ _ If _ StarClan approves,” Leafpool mewed sharply.

“Of course.” Didn’t Leafpool ever feel restricted by Clan rules and traditions? “Have you shared with them yet?”

Leafpool’s gaze darkened. “They’re still silent.”

“Maybe they’re okay with SkyClan moving, then.”

“Perhaps,” Leafpool replied, clearly unconvinced, “but we can’t be sure until we hear from them. Until then, it’s best that SkyClan doesn’t make any decisions.”

“Even if it means peace between the Clans?”

“StarClan knows best.” Leafpool returned to the marigold patch and plucked another stalk from it. Squirrelflight noticed her sister’s ears twitching. Clearly she was unnerved by StarClan’s silence, and talk of the Sisters didn’t help.

If only StarClan could share with her. They could let her know it would be good for SkyClan to move to the new territory. They might even know if she was destined to have more kits like she desperately wanted. Yellowfang may have told her she’d have a hard time bearing her own kits, but it was still possible.  _ Don’t rush so much, Squirrelflight, _ she thought.  _ You can’t sort out every problem at once. _ And maybe for now, maybe waiting was the right thing to do. Jessy would be back by leaf-bare as long as she survived the storm, the Sisters would move on, SkyClan would have more territory, and then Clans would finally be at peace. She'd apologize to Bramblestar for snapping when she got back to camp. He'd understand, right?

It was pointless to try and guess what the future held, for no cat knew. Squirrelflight looked up, catching a glimpse of the afternoon sky between the branches.  _ Does StarClan know what will happen? _ A shiver ran down her spine.  _ If they do, they’re not giving anything away. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Squirrelflight is not having a good time mentally.
> 
> I know she got upset when she was younger about having her battles fought for her and being coddled by Bramblestar and Ashfur, but I think a couple days of it is reasonable after she was held hostage and extremely homesick. However, it gets tiring after a few days.
> 
> Leafpool does feel restricted by some of the Clan traditions and rules, but her dedication to her job is more important to her than that.


	10. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update took so long because I wanted to release this chapter with chapter 9. In addition, I started a new job that's really been draining on me, so my updates in general will be affected.

Larksong slid past Squirrelflight and lifted his gaze, jaws parted. “There’s a squirrel nest up there.”

Branches twitched overhead, and leaves made the sunshine streaming through the canopy flicker. Squirrelflight followed the black molly’s gaze, ears pricked as she spotted a flash of gray-brown fur high in the oak. A fluffy tail bobbed along the branch, followed quickly by another.

Blossomfall stopped beside them, following their gazes. “It’s too high up,” she mewed, swishing her tail.

“I see it!” Mousewhisker looked up through the branches, his gray and white pelt fluffed out with excitement.

Larksong padded closer to the tree and peered up the trunk. “It’d be simple to climb,” he added, looking back to Squirrelflight. Sturdy branches jutted from the oak’s thick trunk, and the bark was gnarled. It would be easy for a cat to sink their claws into it to climb to a branch.

“I think we should leave the climbing to SkyClan,” Squirrelflight mewed, beckoning Larksong with a flick of her tail. Though Sparkpelt wasn’t with them, she knew she’d be anxious hearing her mate attempt such a high climb. The squirrels up there weren’t worth the risk, either. There was plenty of prey running through the forest as greenleaf began to hit the Clans with full force.

In the days since Sparkpelt revealed she was expecting kits to her parents, she and Larksong were nearly inseparable. When Sparkpelt was assigned to patrols, Larksong requested to go with her. Today was a rare circumstance where the two were apart, as Sparkpelt was in the nursery sleeping. Though Squirrelflight was touched by how protective Larksong was over his mate--her daughter--she couldn’t help but be reminded of her own desire for kits.

Since her breakdown after Sparkpelt’s revelation, Squirrelflight and Bramblestar had been nearly inseparable in camp. They shared the leader’s den together, curled up in a large nest together, sticking close by when not out patrolling. And yet, their patrols together had dwindled. Squirrelflight took every chance to get out of camp, trying to busy herself and avoid thinking about wanting kits. If she threw herself into serving the Clan, wasn’t that a little like caring for kits? She kept telling herself that, even if she hardly believed it.

“Squirrelflight,” Larksong mewed, jerking her from her thoughts, “I smell something strange.” The black molly’s pelt bristled along his spine, and he flattened his ears. “It smells familiar, but I’m not sure what it is.”

“It’s a rogue!” Mousewhisker hissed, uncurling his claws. Blossomfall glanced around the forest, and Larksong moved closer to her.

Squirrelflight tasted the air, stiffening as a scent she knew well bathed her tongue.  _ The Sisters! What are they doing on ThunderClan territory? _ “Wait,” she mewed firmly, nodding to Mousewhisker. She hoped she found the Sisters before anyone else did. Surely they hadn’t come to fight? Their border markers shouldn’t have seemed aggressive.  _ Something’s wrong, _ she thought, padding ahead quickly as she caught fear-scent mixed with the Sisters’ scent. Her tail twitched anxiously as she spotted a flash of white fur among the ferns, and the scent of blood mixed with the other scents. She hurried towards it, recognizing the pelt. “Snow?”

Snow turned her bright blue eyes on Squirrelflight, her gaze alight with panic. Fresh scratches marred her long white fur, and clumps were missing on her back.

“Who is it?” Blossomfall asked, padding up to Squirrelflight. Though her claws were unsheathed, the tortoiseshell molly kept her fur flat. As a hunting patrol, the last thing they wanted to do was fight.

“It’s Snow,” she told her as the rest of the patrol caught up. “She’s one of the Sisters.”

Mousewhisker narrowed his green eyes. “What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?” he snarled at her.

Blossomfall cut in. “She shouldn’t be here,” she mewed, “but it’s clear something’s wrong. She’s hurt.”

Larksong blinked at Snow in surprise, then glanced at Squirrelflight. “What in StarClan’s name happened to her?”

“We found her like this,” Blossomfall told him. “We’re still trying to find out why she’s hurt.”

Squirrelflight padded a bit closer to Snow, her eyes gentle. “Why are you here?” she asked softly, a sharp contrast to Mousewhisker’s demand.

“I was looking for you,” Snow mewed breathlessly. “You said you have medicine cats. They might know what to do to save Sunrise. She’s been badly wounded.”

Squirrelflight tensed. “How bad?”

Ignoring hisses from Mousewhisker, Snow kept her gaze on Squirrelflight. “Can one of your medicine cats come and see her? She’s not far from here, but we’re reluctant to move her right now.”

Why had Sunrise been injured so close to ThunderClan territory? Squirrelflight thought, shifting her paws uneasily. Blossomfall and Larksong could only keep Mousewhisker calm for so long, and Blossomfall’s patience was running thin already. She doubted they’d be too pleased if she treated an intruder too kindly, even if they needed help. “I’m not sure if there’s anything we can do,” she said.

“But surely one of your medicine cats can do something, right?” Snow looked at her imploringly.

Squirrelflight hesitated. She knew Bramblestar would probably be upset for helping a rogue, but at the same time she knew he would want to help a wounded cat just off their territory. The rest of the Clan, though, wouldn’t be as happy.  _ If they know Snow was looking for _ me,  _ they might accuse me of bringing them here and questioning my loyalty to my Clan. _

“Let’s just take a look at the wounded cat,” Larksong mewed, padding to Squirrelflight’s side. “It might not be too serious a wound. We all know how to stop bleeding at least, so maybe we can patch her up and let them return to their camp without bothering the Clan.”

She looked at him, wondering. From Snow’s description, it probably  _ was  _ bad enough to need a medicine cat, but stopping any bleeding would at least be a good start. And if that’s all they needed to do to save Sunrise, then it would avoid questions about the Sisters being on ThunderClan’s land. She frowned. The rest of the Clan would find out what happened quickly. There would be no reason for the patrol to keep what happened a secret. She flicked her tail and turned to face Snow again. “Show us where she is,” she told the white Sister. “I’ll send for a medicine cat when we know where she is, and we’ll do our best to help before then.”

“But it might be a trap!” Mousewhisker hissed, his hackles lifting. “They held you hostage after all!”

“They never hurt me,” Squirrelflight replied, narrowing her eyes at the tom. “I know them well enough to know they won’t hurt any of us.” She turned back to Snow. “Let’s go.”

Snow took off, leading the patrol past the ferns along a rabbit trail in the brambles. With the ThunderClan cats following, she leaped over a dried streambed and ducked under a juniper bush, stopping on the other side.

Squirrelflight scanned the forest ahead. Though she could smell blood, she had no idea where Sunrise was. “I don’t see her.” Blossomfall and Larksong stopped beside her, glancing nervously between the trees.

Snow flicked her tail and padded to the bushes, mewing something Squirrelflight couldn’t make out. Suddenly, the bushes quivered, and Tempest and Hawk slid out. Both were covered in scratches and missing fur like Snow was, and on their backs was the golden form of Sunrise, looking oddly small.

Mousewhisker darted to the rest of the patrol, teeth bared. “How do we know this isn’t a trap?” he hissed. Even with his pelt bushed, though, the Sisters were far larger than him.

Tempest blinked at him in surprise. “What reason would we have to trap you, especially with an injured campmate?”

“Well,” Mousewhisker stammered, realizing he was jumping to conclusions. He flattened his ears and looked away in embarrassment.

Tempest ignored him and looked at Squirrelflight, hope glittering in her amber eyes. “Have you come to help?”

“I’ve come to do what we can,” Squirrelflight replied as Tempest and Hawk set Sunrise down. The golden molly was breathing heavily and barely conscious, the fur on her flank stained red. She was bleeding heavily, and alarm coursed through Squirrelflight. They had to stop the bleeding  _ now _ . “Blossomfall, Mousewhisker, I need you two to get as many cobwebs as you can. Clean moss works if you can’t find any, but you need to hurry.”

As the two cats ran off, Larksong padded around the Sisters, his ears twitching. “What happened?”

“We got into a fight with some toms,” Hawk replied. “We found them coming towards our camp, so we fought them to defend ourselves. But one of them, a white tom I believe, did this to Sunrise before they retreated.”

As Blossomfall and Mousewhisker returned, both running awkwardly on three legs due to a paw wrapped in cobwebs, Squirrelflight knew she had to work fast. They could only stop the bleeding, but Sunrise needed to see a medicine cat. “Press the cobwebs against her wound, and press hard so the bleeding stops.”

“Should I go fetch a medicine cat?” Larksong asked.

Squirrelflight shook her head. “It would take too long,” she replied. “We need to stop the bleeding first, then carry her to camp so she can be treated.” She knew she was taking a risk bringing one of the Sisters to ThunderClan’s camp, but Sunrise’s wound was too serious to wait for a medicine cat. She nodded to Snow, Hawk, and Tempest. “You can return to your camp. I promise we’ll take care of her.”

Snow stiffened. “We’re not leaving her.”

Blossomfall looked at Squirrelflight anxiously. “We can’t bring them all to the camp,” she mewed, glancing towards where they came. She lowered her voice so the Sisters wouldn’t hear as she beckoned Squirrelflight closer with her tail. “The Clan won’t be happy. Some of them think you’re too quick to defend the Sisters, and they haven’t forgiven them for taking you hostage.”

“They’re right to be cautious,” Squirrelflight replied, “but this is the right thing to do. I can’t let a cat die like this.”

“But don’t forget what happened to ShadowClan when they let Darktail and his Kin in,” Mousewhisker added.

“Darktail was always going to destroy the Clans,” Squirrelflight retorted. “Besides, he wasn’t critically injured when ShadowClan brought him in. Sunrise needs our help, and if that means we have to bring more of the Sisters with us, then so be it.”

“We’re coming to make sure she will be okay,” Tempest mewed simply. “We’ve met your Clanmates, and they weren’t exactly friendly to us. How do we know that you’ll actually treat her?”

Larksong whispered to Squirrelflight, “The Clan’s not going to like this.” 

Squirrelflight glanced back at Sunrise, whose blood had quickly soaked the cobwebs. Blossomfall’s green eyes were wide with worry as her white paws were soaked red with blood. “We have to help them,” she mewed finally, her voice firm. She couldn’t let Sunrise die like this. She’d deal with the Clan’s issues later. “You’ll have to carry her,” she told Tempest and Hawk, who nodded. Glancing to Larksong, she added, “You can help them.”

She stood back as Blossomfall and Mousewhisker slowly backed away, hoping they had slowed the bleeding enough. Snow and Larksong tucked their shoulders under Sunrise, while Tempest and Hawk jerked her up with their muzzles. They slid beneath her and heaved her onto their backs, Tempest and Hawk bearing most of her weight. Pressing together and sandwiching Larksong between them, the two Sisters nodded to Squirrelflight, who turned towards camp. Blossomfall and Mousewhisker anxiously circled the patrol, occasionally telling everyone to speed up as they crossed the streambed.

Squirrelflight darted ahead, scanning the forest for the quickest way to camp with the least amount of undergrowth to snag the Sisters’ long fur. Snow fell in beside her as she led the way up a gentle rise. The trees there grew so thickly that the brambles had died away, so it was easy to weave their way through the trees. As they reached the top, Squirrelflight glanced back at the others. Tempest and Hawk were walking much more slowly than the others, their gazes dark with concentration as they carried their campmate. Larksong matched their steps paw for paw, his dark blue eyes flicking anxiously between them. Across their backs, Sunrise was lying limply, and Squirrelflight could hardly see the rise and fall of her flank. “We have to hurry.”

As Squirrelflight picked up the pace, Blossomfall caught up to her. “Sunrise is still breathing, but only just,” she mewed, her green eyes wide with fear. Was she remembering how Briarlight and Eaglewing had died? It wasn’t like her to be this worried over a non-ThunderClan cat.

Squirrelflight kept her gaze on the trail. “We’ll get back in time,” she replied. She hoped it was true. It hadn’t been for Eaglewing a moon and a half ago. She silently prayed to StarClan that Sunrise would be okay. Clan cat or not, she couldn’t let another cat die because they couldn’t get a medicine cat in time.

“Jayfeather will know what to do,” Blossomfall mewed. “He has to.”

“I wasn’t sure if you would help,” Snow mewed softly, blinking gratefully at Squirrelflight, “but I had to do something. We were too far from home to take Sunrise back, and we were unfamiliar with the herbs in this territory.”

“What were you doing here?” Squirrelflight asked, returning her gaze. “You’ve never trespassed on Clan land before.”

Snow’s blue eyes darkened. “You’re not the only Clan cats who are suddenly interested in the land we’re using.”

Squirrelflight’s belly tightened. “What do you mean?”

“Yesterday, we smelled Clan scent on our side of your border,” Snow explained. “Hawk thought you’d sent a patrol back, but you’d promised to leave us be. Then, Moonlight noticed the scents were different than yours was, so she sent Tempest, Hawk, Sunrise, and me to investigate.” She sighed. “They claimed they were trying to look beyond their borders and didn’t realize this land was occupied, but we didn’t believe them at the time and attacked. After one of the toms was injured, the other attacked Sunrise before fleeing. I realize now that it probably was unintentional, since they didn’t smell like you or Leafstar.”

Blossomfall pricked her ears. “Do you know which Clan it was?”

Snow shrugged. “Clan cats mostly smell the same to us. I chased them back to the pine forests close to your border.”

“ShadowClan!” Blossomfall hissed, looking towards Squirrelflight. Her pelt prickled uneasily. Had her suggestion to look beyond the borders for territory put the Sisters and the Clans in danger? Was this search going to result in needless battles, especially after some ShadowClan cats were attacked over a misunderstanding? Foreboding and anxiety dropped like a stone in Squirrelflight’s belly, and she flicked her tail nervously. How was she supposed to explain that Sunrise was injured fighting Clan cats.

“Do you know what the cats looked like?” Mousewhisker asked. “Did you catch their names? How many were there?”

Snow didn’t look back towards him, instead looking to Squirrelflight. “There were two toms. One was a dark brown tabby, the other was white. The tabby tried to resolve things peacefully, but we wouldn’t listen to him. In our fight, Sunrise tore up one of the tabby’s ears, and the white tom retaliated and well… that’s why we’re here now. I think I caught that his name was Stonewing, but I didn’t catch the tabby’s name”

“Strikestone,” Blossomfall mewed, and Squirrelflight’s heart sank. Strikestone was ShadowClan’s deputy. If the Clan found out they injured him, it would be even worse than just bringing them to camp.

“Tell no one about the cats in the fight,” Squirrelflight mewed firmly to the others. “On top of being ShadowClan’s deputy, Strikestone is Bramblestar’s kin through his sister Tawnystar. There will be time to explain things after Sunrise is treated and able to return home with her campmates.”

“Tawnystar probably won’t be happy with this,” Blossomfall mewed nervously.

“We’re not going to behave without honor just because it might upset Tawnystar,” Squirrelflight replied. “It should only be a day or two at most so she can recuperate.”

“But will Bramblestar be okay with it?”

Squirrelflight turned to face Blossomfall. “Sunrise could die from this injury. If Bramblestar is more interested in pleasing ShadowClan than saving another cat’s life, then he’s not the cat I thought he was.” Facing forward again, she saw they were approaching camp. “Besides, we’re almost there.”

As she spoke, the bracken ahead rustled before Rosepetal and Bristlepaw burst out. They stopped barely a tail-length in front of Squirrelflight, eyes wide. “What’s going on?” Rosepetal asked, looking past Squirrelflight at the Sisters.

Bristlepaw’s spiky silver pelt bushed at the sight. “Rogues!” she hissed.

Snow dipped her head to the young molly. “We’re the Sisters.”

“The Sisters!” Bristlepaw stared at her, tilting her head. “What are you doing on our land?”

“I’ll explain later,” Squirrelflight mewed, pushing past them. She dashed down the slope towards the hollow and ducked through the tunnel leading to camp. “Leafpool! Jayfeather! Alderheart!” she yowled as Tempest, Larksong, and Hawk carried Sunrise into the clearing, gently laying her down on the sunbaked earth.

Alderheart hurried from the medicine den, Leafpool on his tail. Jayfeather followed soon after, his nose twitching. “Who’s bleeding?” he asked, then he froze. “What are rogues doing here?” he hissed.

“They’re not rogues,” Squirrelflight replied, sweeping her gaze around camp. Hazeltail was staring in amazement from beside the fresh-kill pile. Thornclaw and Birchfall were sharing a rabbit below the Highledge, hostility glittering in their gazes as they blinked at the Sisters. Outside the warriors’ den, Honeyfur and Twigshade climbed warily to their paws, and Finleap poked his head out of the den. Poppyfrost waved Twirlpaw back with her tail as her apprentice arched his back and hissed at Snow. Bumblestripe pushed away the mouse he was sharing with Toadstep and narrowed his eyes. Sparkpelt rushed out of the nursery and dashed toward Larksong, anxiously pressing against her mate. Squirrelflight forced herself to ignore the rising tension in the camp. “One of the Sisters needs our help.”

Stones clattered down the rock tumble as Bramblestar emerged from his den. “What’s going on?” he growled, leaping down to the clearing and stopping beside Squirrelflight.

“Sunrise is injured and desperately needs a medicine cat,” Squirrelflight replied. “Blossomfall and Mousewhisker stopped what bleeding they could, but we couldn’t do anything else.”

Bramblestar narrowed his gaze, but said nothing.

“I’ll fetch more cobwebs and some marigold,” Leafpool mewed, turning around and dashing towards the medicine den. She didn’t notice others were pushing closer, some more hostile than others.

“Stop!” Bramblestar yowled with a flick of his tail.

Leafpool froze, her amber eyes wide.

Squirrelflight stared at him. “Aren’t you going to help her?”

“Of course I am,” he replied, crouching beside the golden molly. He glanced towards Leafpool, seeing her frozen in place. “You go get what you need. I wanted everyone else to stop.”

Casting a glance at Sunrise, Squirrelflight’s heart sank as she realized the molly’s breathing was getting shallower, and the bleeding had started again. A pool of blood was forming in the clearing around her.

“You are going to help her, right?” Lilyheart mewed, gingerly stepping closer. Her mate Stormcloud stood next to her, eyes wide.

Thornclaw lashed his tail, claws already unsheathed. “Why should we?” he hissed, tail lashing. “We’ve only just rescued our Clanmate from these cats. We owe them nothing.”

“But she’s hurt!” Stormcloud mewed, looking at the golden-brown tom in disbelief. “Bramblestar took me in during the flood seasons ago. I could’ve died without his help.”

Alderheart blinked at his Clanmates. “We can’t stand by and let her suffer,” he mewed. “It’s not the medicine cat way. We heal without borders not just between Clans, but between cats in general.”

“We can’t let her die,” Blossomfall added, glancing around. Her paws were still red with Sunrise’s blood.

Squirrelflight kept quiet about how they attacked ShadowClan with little provocation. The Clan was tense enough as is, they didn’t need to know what happened yet. She would talk with Bramblestar in private later about it. Right now, Sunrise needed help.

Thornclaw growled at the Sisters. “We can’t have rogues using our herbs,” he mewed, lashing his tail again. “We don’t have unlimited herbs, after all.”

“How do we know they’re any better than the Kin?” Dewnose growled. “They took our deputy captive. How can we be sure they’re not our enemies?”

Tempest blinked at him in surprise. “We’re not your enemies, though.”

“You held Squirrelflight hostage,” Plumstone snarled. “Get out of our camp!”

“Send them back where they came from!” Thornclaw yowled.

Squirrelflight’s throat tightened. How could her own Clanmates turn away a gravely injured, possibly dying cat. She felt Larksong shift nervously beside her. Was he having a change of heart now? Glancing at the medicine den, she saw Leafpool was crouched in the entrance, afraid to return to the clearing.

Twigshade padded forward, her green gaze hard. “It doesn’t matter what they’ve done right now. Sunrise will die if we send her away.”

“We can’t have another cat’s blood on our paws,” Honeyfur added, joining her adopted sister. The gathered cats glanced around uneasily, as though they weren’t convinced.

“But what will the other Clans say when they find out we’ve taken her in?” Birchfall asked, nodding towards Sunrise and the other Sisters.

“The Clans don’t need to know right now,” Shellfur mewed, stepping forward. “Besides, Stormcloud is right. We’ve helped outsiders before, so there’s no reason we should stop now.” He flicked his tail angrily. “We can’t let her die.”

Bramblestar looked around his Clan. Anger flared in Thornclaw’s eyes, and Plumstone’s ears twitched menacingly. A cluster of cats, with Twigshade and Honeyfur in the front, stared at him with pleading eyes. “We will treat her,” he announced. Bramblestar jerked his muzzle towards Jayfeather and Alderheart. “Move her as gently as possible towards the medicine den.”

Squirrelflight let out a sigh of relief. Glancing towards the medicine den, she found Leafpool rushing to Sunrise as fast as she could on three legs. One of her white paws was swathed in cobwebs, and she carried a bunch of marigold in her jaws. “No,” she mewed, setting her marigold down. “We can’t move her right now. We have to stabilize her first.”

Bramblestar nodded. “Understood,” he mewed. “Jayfeather, if Leafpool and Alderheart need anything, you run and get it. You’re the fastest of the medicine cats.”

Normally her adopted son would’ve snapped back at him, assuming he was being babied for being blind. However, Jayfeather simply nodded and began chewing marigold into a poultice.

Leafpool was trying to draw the edges of the wound together while Alderheart pressed cobwebs against it to stop the bleeding. “If we can just stop the bleeding,” she murmured, then glanced at Jayfeather. “I’ll need goldenrod soon, and make sure we have burnet or ragwort leaves, or juniper berries if you can't find them. She’ll need something to help her regain her strength once she wakes up.”

Jayfeather nodded, finishing chewing the marigold into a poultice. Once he was done, he sprinted back to the den. Squirrelflight was reminded of how the Sisters had treated Leafstar’s wound while they were staying with them. She was glad Bramblestar agreed that Sunrise should be treated. Most of the crowd had dispersed, generally unhappy about the decision, but Stormcloud, Lilyheart, their kits, and Shellfur had stayed, circling around the medicine cats. She also spotted Sorrelstripe poking her head out of the nursery, intrigued by the cats in camp.

But despite everything, Squirrelflight felt dread building in her belly. Thornclaw was murmuring with a small group of other cats across camp, and she knew nothing good could come from that. What happened to some of her Clanmates’ honor? Even the Sisters had more honor for their prisoners than some of them. If Sunrise died from her wound, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to forgive the cats who argued against treating her.


	11. Chapter 9

Leafpool sat back on her haunches, sighing. “I’ve stopped the bleeding for now,” she mewed. “Alderheart, you can gently remove the cobweb and put the marigold poultice on there. I’m going to get more cobwebs just in case.”

Alderheart nodded, catching one edge of the soaked webs with a claw and gingerly peeling it away. As Squirrelflight anxiously watched, she was relieved to see Sunrise had not started bleeding again. But the golden molly was still unconscious, not moving and with very shallow breathing. The clearing beneath her was still damp with her blood.

Jayfeather quickly padded over, a leaf wrap in his jaws. “I’ve got some goldenrod to add to her poultice, and some burnet for when she awakes. I’ll get her some prey as well,” he mewed. “She’s lost a lot of blood.”

As he padded towards the fresh-kill pile, a growl rumbled in Thornclaw’s throat. The tom was glaring at the Sisters, who were pressed close to each other at the edge of the clearing. His icy glare shifted to Jayfeather. “It’s bad enough they’re taking our herbs,” he growled, “but now you want them to have our prey, too?”

Plumstone fluffed out her pelt beside him. “I think we should have asked StarClan what to do first,” she hissed.

Squirrelflight was shocked by their coldness, especially Plumstone’s given her sister’s recent death. Her brother Shellfur was still standing guard around Sunrise, not letting any aggressive Clanmates come close to her. “She would have died if we had to wait for one of the medicine cats to go to the Moonpool. If they had given us permission, we wouldn’t have been able to follow through. We can’t treat corpses.”

While she was talking, Jayfeather quickly grabbed a fat mouse for Sunrise, hurrying back to Alderheart and Leafpool’s sides. Bramblestar was quick to join them. “Good thinking,” he mewed to Jayfeather. “A meal will help her regain strength.”

“I’m glad I got all that marigold the other day,” Leafpool mewed, dripping goldenrod juice on Sunrise’s gash. “It’s always good to be stocked up on herbs.” As she spoke, Sunrise stirred. Her amber eyes slowly fluttered open, and with a flick of her tail, she tried to lift her head.

Squirrelflight sighed in relief. “She’s awake,” she breathed, watching Sorrelstripe carefully pad over. “She’s a fighter, I can tell.”

Snow crept closer to Sunrise, looking warily at Sorrelstripe as she did so. “Keep still,” she breathed to her wounded Sister, fear shining in her eyes. “You’ll reopen your wound.”

Sunrise didn’t respond, just lying back down on the ground. Jayfeather nudged a few leaves towards her mouth. “Eat these,” he mewed quietly. “They’ll help you regain your strength.”

As Tempest and Hawk moved forward to comfort Sunrise, Thornclaw scoffed. “If I were in charge,” he started, “I’d have made the medicine cats ask StarClan before we tried to heal her. Keep her alive, but no more than that until they permit us.”

Anger flared in Squirrelflight’s belly at his words, but she said nothing. She knew anything she said would only provoke the tom further. Still, the Sisters treated her far more kindly as a prisoner than some of her Clanmates were treating them asking for help.

The tunnel rustled as Blossomfall and Mousewhisker pushed their way in, back from washing Sunrise’s blood off their pelts. They had offered to take Larksong with them, but he declined, instead telling Sparkpelt what happened. “Should we move her to the medicine den?” Blossomfall asked, shuffling her paws. “It can’t be too comfortable lying in the sun like this.”

Larksong lifted his tail hopefully. “We could carry her over there, or at least to a shadier patch,” he mewed.

Bramblestar glanced at the Sisters, then at his warriors, before nodding in agreement. “I’d like to keep her in view for now,” he mewed, “but if we can move her to the shade, it should be nicer for her.”

“I can fetch some ferns for her to lay on,” Twigshade mewed. Honeyfur and Finleap nodded as well.

“I can take Thriftpaw and Twirlpaw to get extra moss as well,” Toadstep mewed, rising to his paws. “The others will need nests if they’ll be staying with us. Plus, we could soak some while we're out so she can drink.”

Bramblestar nodded. “Yes, that’s a good idea, but hurry back. We’ll need hunting patrols to go out soon, and I think it would be good for the apprentices to go on one of them.”

Squirrelflight wanted to go with one of the groups as they hurried out of camp, making sure they picked the softest leaves and moss, but she had to stay and help fight for Sunrise. Thankfully, she had others willing to fight with her and Bramblestar. Sorrelstripe was talking with Hawk, her amber eyes glittering with interest at everything the torbie molly said. Lilyheart and Stormcloud were helping Snow and Tempest groom Sunrise, cleaning the excess blood off her golden fur. Shellfur was dutifully standing guard over the Sisters, making sure none of the more aggressive members of ThunderClan came near them.

The thorn tunnel shivered soon after Twigshade and Toadstep left with their groups, and Hollytuft and Molewhisker ducked into camp. Stemleaf and Spotfur followed shortly behind them. All four of them stopped as they saw the Sisters, eyes widening in shock at the sight of Sunrise. “What’s going on?” Hollytuft asked, bushing her fur up.

“This cat has been hurt,” Bramblestar told her. “Leafpool, Jayfeather, and Alderheart are treating her right now.”

“But… those are rogues!” the black tom exclaimed, catching her sister Sorrelstripe’s gaze. “Why are the others here?”

“They couldn’t abandon their campmate,” Sorrelstripe replied, beckoning her over with her tail. “They want to make sure she’ll be okay, just like any of us would want to know if one of our Clanmates was being taken care of by another Clan.”

Hollytuft blinked in understanding, seeing her sister’s point. Molewhisker, however, was less convinced. “I thought the Sisters never strayed onto Clan territory. That’s why we reinforced the border by the abandoned Twolegplace.”

Snaptooth, who had just exited the warriors’ den, raised his hackles. “Maybe they think they can go wherever they like, since they don’t believe in borders.”

“Rest, please,” Leafpool breathed to Sunrise, touching her nose to the golden molly’s cheek. Sunrise had started trying to push herself to her paws at all the arguing, but barely got herself upright. “I’ll get you some poppy seeds after you’ve eaten.”

Sunrise nodded weakly as Jayfeather nudged the mouse he got earlier in front of her. “I won’t let any cat complain about this unless they want to face me,” he whispered. “We won’t let you suffer.”

Realizing the camp had gone still, Bramblestar cleared his throat. “We don’t need everyone hanging around camp staring at the medicine cats while they work,” he mewed, flicking his tail briskly. “Lilyheart, Poppyfrost, I’d like you both to lead hunting patrols. We need the fresh-kill pile stocked so we have enough for ourselves and our guests. You can decide who else is coming with you. When Rosepetal and Toadstep get back with the apprentices, they can all help Birchfall with reinforcing the nursery.” His gaze swept over the Clan. “We can’t ignore our duties even when we have guests.”

Squirrelflight nodded. “And if we’re reinforcing the nursery, we might as well make sure the other dens are good as well,” she added. “Lionblaze, I want you, Cinderheart, and Bumblestripe to work on the warriors’ den. Thornclaw, you, Whitewing, and Cherryfall can make sure the apprentices’ den is stable. Ivypool and Fernsong can make sure the elders’ den is still holding up from the last reinforcement, as well as move the elders to the nursery so our guests have a den to stay in.”

Thornclaw narrowed his eyes on her and Bramblestar. “So not only does the injured rogue get to take our prey, but the healthy ones too?” His sharp gaze shifted to Hawk and Tempest.

Tempest lifted her chin, meeting Thornclaw’s pale blue gaze with her own amber one. “We can catch our own prey,” she mewed.

Plumstone bristled. “Do you think we’d let you hunt on  _ our  _ land?”

Squirrelflight noticed Bramblestar suddenly looked weary, and couldn’t blame him. The constant arguing with the Clan was taking a toll on her as well. “They have to eat, and since they can’t hunt here, we will share our prey with them. Sunrise will eat with the queens and elders, and the others will eat after.”

Squirrelflight couldn’t help but pity her mate, seeing him try to please even the most argumentative of cats. But if everyone in the Clan wanted something different, how could he please everyone? She stepped up to his side, hoping to make it seem like they were supporting each other in this decision.

Poppyfrost led Blossomfall, Cherryfall, and Snaptooth out of camp. Soon to follow was Lilyheart with Dewnose, Shellfur, and Flywhisker. Stemleaf and Spotfur took over Shellfur’s place guarding Sunrise, while Mousewhisker and Larksong helped the Sisters gently move Sunrise to the shade. Squirrelflight hoped Twigshade would be back soon, with soft, cool ferns for her to rest on.

Bramblestar flicked his tail to Larksong. “Come with us,” he mewed to the black molly. “We need to discuss what happened in my den.”

Larksong hesitated. “I’d rather stay with Sparkpelt,” he mewed finally. “Now that she’s expecting, I don’t like to be away from her for too long.”

“Sparkpelt can come with us,” Squirrelflight mewed, “but we need you because you and Blossomfall were the only ones on the patrol who didn’t act with hostility first. In particular, you kept a level head--a very admirable trait for a younger warrior.”

Larksong glanced at Sparkpelt, then dipped his head to Squirrelflight and Bramblestar before rising to his paws. “Alright.”

As Bramblestar led them up the rock tumble, Squirrelflight cast a glance at the medicine cats. Sunrise had her head up higher now, but still looked very weak. Twigshade and Toadstep had returned with their groups, gently tucking moss and ferns around Sunrise to form a quick nest. Ivypool and Fernsong were leading the elders to the nursery, the former supporting Millie as they walked, while Thriftpaw and Twirlpaw cleared out the old nests. Toadstep’s jaws were clamped around a wad of soaked moss, and Jayfeather was encouraging her to drink from it. “Will you be okay?” she asked Leafpool, though also directing the question to Jayfeather and Alderheart.

Leafpool nodded. “We’ll do everything we can,” she replied. “I think we’re getting her stable.”

Squirrelflight straightened and headed for the rock tumble. Larksong and Sparkpelt were already climbing up, and Bramblestar was nowhere in sight.  _ He must be waiting in his den already, _ she thought, scrambling up the rocks as gravel crunched beneath her paws.

Bramblestar sat in the back of the shadowy cave, his amber gaze calm. Larksong’s black pelt blended into the shadows, his dark eyes hardly visible. He was pressed against Sparkpelt, black and ginger fur mixing. Squirrelflight could hardly see their ears twitch as she slipped into the cave, sitting across from Sparkpelt and Larksong.

“First thing’s first,” Bramblestar mewed after she sat down, his gaze shifting between her and Larksong, “what brought the Sisters here?”

Larksong glanced at Squirrelflight, as though he was pleading to let her do the talking. The molly clearly didn’t want to be here, even with the support of his mate. She gave him a slight nod before facing Bramblestar. “Snow found us while we were on our hunting patrol, begging us to help Sunrise. She had been injured, and I thought we’d at least check how bad her injury was and try to patch her up. We didn’t realize it would be this bad.”

“I offered to get a medicine cat,” Larksong added, his voice soft, “but Squirrelflight said there wasn’t enough time, so we tried to stop the bleeding before we carried her back.”

Bramblestar nodded as they spoke, his eyes revealing no emotion. “Why was she injured so close to our territory, though?”

Squirrelflight gulped. This was the part she was dreading. “The Sisters attacked a ShadowClan patrol on their territory,” she replied. “Strikestone and Stonewing were trying to look for territory past their borders, and they ended up in the Sisters’ current territory. Snow… was very aggressive to them and started a fight. Tempest, Hawk, and Sunrise were with her. During the fight, Sunrise shredded one of Strikestone’s ears pretty badly, and Stonewing retaliated by injuring her.”

At the mention of Strikestone, Bramblestar’s pelt bristled. “So… Snow attacked them over a misunderstanding?” he asked, tail tip twitching.

Squirrelflight could only nod slowly. She flattened her ears, hoping Bramblestar wouldn’t be too mad.

Before he could respond, though, Larksong piped up, “We didn’t know Snow attacked them until we were almost to camp.” Squirrelflight glanced up to see the black molly rising to his paws. “We had already promised to help Sunrise, and we weren’t about to leave her to die. Besides, Snow knows she was irrational and regrets even starting the fight.”

The air in the den was thick with tension as all four cats were silent. Squirrelflight’s pelt bristled as she stared at her mate with wide eyes. Bramblestar’s amber eyes were dark, and his claws were unsheathed and digging into the ground below as he thought. Finally, he looked at the cats gathered in his den, his eyes hard. “No one else in the Clan must know about this,” he mewed finally.

Squirrelflight let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in. Bramblestar seemed to understand, even if these cats went after his kin unjustly. “So we’ll keep treating Sunrise?” she asked.

Bramblestar nodded. “We’ll do our best to keep any of the other Clans from finding out that some of the Sisters are here, though. The last thing we need is to anger Tawnystar by keeping the cats who injured her deputy and grandkit in our camp.”

“Makes sense,” Sparkpelt mewed, nodding. “Even without him involved, though, I still think we should treat Sunrise. It’s not like us to leave a cat to die just because they’re not ThunderClan.”

“The Gathering is in a few days,” Squirrelflight added. “We can find out what happened from ShadowClan then, and by that point the Sisters will likely be able to return to their camp.”

“But what if ShadowClan finds out?” Larksong mewed, his paws shuffling. “We can’t afford a fight with how unstable the borders are right now.”

“We won't let them find out,” Squirrelflight mewed firmly. “We’ll just say we smelled the Sisters and blood and ask the Clans what happened.”

“Besides, if ShadowClan does find out, they’d likely try to pull SkyClan into this,” Bramblestar added. “They no longer share a border with us, and I doubt Leafstar would be interested in such a fight. If we want to keep the peace, we need to stay quiet.”

Sparkpelt pressed further against her mate, green eyes wide. “I hope they don’t--” she mewed, but cut off with a gasp. With a jerk, she pulled away from Larksong and dropped into a crouch.

Heart lurching, Squirrelflight rushed over to her daughter, Bramblestar following. “Sparkpelt? What’s wrong?”

“Cramp,” she hissed, eyes glittering with pain. Larksong was rasping his tongue over her head, trying to soothe her. “My belly… the kits!” Fear edged her mew.

Squirrelflight forced her fur to smooth again. Panicking wouldn’t do any good in this situation. “Take a deep breath,” she mewed, lapping at Sparkpelt’s shoulder. It always calmed her when she was a kit, so hopefully it still worked now. Still, her thoughts whirled in panic. Were Sparkpelt’s kits coming? It was far too early. She caught Bramblestar’s eye as he pressed against their daughter.

Though he was trying to purr, Squirrelflight could see anxiety sparking in Bramblestar’s amber gaze. “Larksong,” he mewed, “I need you to fetch Leafpool, Jayfeather, or Alderheart.”

“Wait,” Sparkpelt groaned, blinking at her father. “It’ll pass. I’ve had these before. They happen when I get upset.”

Guilt seared under Squirrelflight’s pelt. Should she have asked Blossomfall to stay so Sparkpelt wouldn’t have followed Larksong in the discussion? “It’s okay, Sparkpelt,” she mewed, pressing closer. “We won’t talk about ShadowClan causing problems anymore. Your kits will be fine.”

“Will they?” Sparkpelt and Larksong asked simultaneously, looking at her with round, anxious eyes.

“Of course.” She remembered her own difficult pregnancy, trying not to grimace. “I used to get cramps, too. Usually, I had eaten too much fresh-kill. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong.” She kept quiet about how Leafpool and Jayfeather worried her cramps lead to the deaths of Juniperkit and Dandelionkit.

Larksong was still staring at Squirrelflight, doubt flickering in his gaze. “Should I get a medicine cat still?”

“Is the cramp easing?” Bramblestar asked, blinking at Sparkpelt gently.

“Yes,” she replied. Pain still showed in her gaze, but her body was relaxing now.

“Leave the others with Sunrise for now,” Squirrelflight mewed softly, though she appreciated Larksong’s concern and dedication to his mate. She touched her nose to Sparkpelt’s ear. “Cramps are pretty normal. You just need to make sure you rest and don’t get upset. Take it easy during this next moon or so.” She chuckled before continuing, “In the days before you and Alderheart were born, I would run to Leafpool and Jayfeather every night, certain that you two were coming too soon. They’d check me over, tell me everything was fine, and send me back to the nursery. When you two finally came, Daisy had to drag Jayfeather out of his nest. He kept waving her away, saying I was just imagining the pain.” She purred, the memory washing away her earlier fear. Can you imagine his surprise when he came in to find you already born and Alderheart on the way? He stomped around camp for a solid quarter moon after, grumbling about queens who couldn’t tell the difference between birth pains and indigestion.”

As Sparkpelt relaxed more, giggling as she leaned against Larksong, a pang of longing tugged at Squirrelflight’s belly. If only she didn’t have to wait until leaf-bare to possibly have kits again. As the memory of her biological litter filled her heart, she glanced at Bramblestar. He was listening and gently grooming Sparkpelt, his gaze just as soft as when he had rescued her from the Sisters. He caught her eye, and she could see deep love and affection there, likely both for her and their daughter. It was as if there were no problems in the Clan anymore, just them.

“Do you regret having the medicine cats treat Sunrise?” she asked him softly, hoping Sparkpelt wouldn’t hear.

His gaze hardened briefly, likely thinking about cats like Thornclaw, before softening once more. “No. It’s the right thing to do, even if my sister may be unhappy with it.” He then nodded curtly to her. “I’d better check and see that the Clan’s okay.” After a final brush against Sparkpelt and Squirrelflight and a gentle lick on the head to Larksong, he stalked out of the den.

“Don’t worry,” Squirrelflight mewed, brushing her cheek against Sparkpelt’s. “It’s all going to be fine.” She wondered who she was reassuring, Sparkpelt or herself, and if it was about the difficult pregnancy her daughter was due for. “Stay here and rest for a bit. I have to check on the Clan as well, make sure everything is going smoothly, but I’ll try and send Alderheart to you when he can spare a moment.”

Sparkpelt and Larksong both blinked at her gratefully as the ginger molly touched her nose to her mother’s. “Be kind to them, please.”

Squirrelflight nodded as she headed out, trying not to flinch at just how hostile some of her own Clanmates were to her. As she scrambled down the rock tumble, she spotted Bramblestar talking with Thornclaw, their heads bent. The conversation seemed serious, and Thornclaw’s tail lashed as Bramblestar spoke, clearly unhappy with what he had to say. I’d best leave them be, she thought, padding towards Leafpool. Twigshade was still there, putting some final touches on Sunrise’s nest. The wounded Sister hardly moved, but she seemed far more comfortable than before her meeting with Bramblestar. Pain still glazed her eyes, though. “Have you given her poppy seeds?” Squirrelflight whispered to Leafpool.

Leafpool shook her head. “Not yet,” she replied, gently touching a paw to Sunrise’s flank. “I want her to eat a bit more before I give her some, since she’ll sleep. I’ve also been trying to keep the wound well-dressed, but I don’t like how hot it’s getting. I only pray to StarClan it’s just inflammation and not the start of an infection.”

Snow, who had retreated to the edge of the clearing with her fellow Sisters, leaned forward. “But you are doing everything you can for her, right?”

Leafpool nodded. “I just hope it’s enough.” She glanced at Bramblestar, who was struggling to keep his voice low as Thornclaw kept arguing with him. “And I hope our Clanmates calm down.”

Snow stared at them. “Toms are all too often the same,” she grumbled. “Too many that I’ve met always think they’re right and don’t care about others’ feelings, especially those of mollies. I’m glad at least the darker tabby has some sense, letting you heal an injured cat and prevent her from dying.”

“He’s our leader,” Leafpool told her, “and to be a good one, he needs to know compassion and help others in need. He knows just as well as Sunrise what it’s like to need help but be judged by others. His father was a fearsome cat who tried to take over all the Clans, and looked just like Bramblestar. Many cats feared or didn’t trust him because of that, even while he was struggling with how they treated him. It was so bad that his sister actually left ThunderClan to get away from what they were saying.”

As she spoke, Thornclaw lifted his gaze and glared at Snow. “Stop talking,” he hissed, before looking to Leafpool. “And stop telling them about the Clans.”

Squirrelflight’s pelt pricked with anger. Had Thornclaw forgotten what it was like to need help? Had he forgotten how two of his apprentices had either died or been critically injured right before their warriors ceremonies, and the pain he endured through each of those events? She shifted as Alderheart gently nosed her aside to gently apply a fresh poultice to Sunrise’s wound. “Thank you,” she mewed, blinking gratefully at her son. She was relieved that quite a few of her Clanmates weren’t acting like fox-hearts. Leaning closer to Alderheart, she whispered, “When you get a chance, can you check on Sparkpelt? She’s in Bramblestar’s den recovering from some cramps. They’ve passed, but I think she needs reassuring from a medicine cat.”

Alderheart nodded. “Can you stay close to here in case Thornclaw or anyone else tries to do anything?”

“Of course,” Squirrelflight mewed, giving her son a gentle lick on his head before settling beside Sunrise. Her flank pressed against the wounded molly’s spine, and she was relieved that she hardly felt warmer than normal. Hopefully that means her wound is only inflamed and not infected, she thought. But fear gripped her aching heart as she looked at Thornclaw and Plumstone again. When had her Clanmates become so heartless? Did they really believe unity between the Clans was worth the price of another cat’s death?

* * *

The moon was high in the sky before Leafpool deemed Sunrise stable enough to move into the medicine den. Squirrelflight could see stars twinkling through the leafy canopy as she sat guard outside the den. Beside her sat Blossomfall, struggling to keep herself awake. Squirrelflight couldn’t blame her. She was exhausted herself, wanting nothing more than to curl up in her nest and sleep. But most of the Clan remained out and about, including ones acting more aggressive to the Sisters. Snow was in the medicine den with Sunrise, while Hawk and Tempest had settled into their new nests in the elders’ den. Shellfur and Hollytuft had taken up guard positions at the elders’ den, the former hissing if hostile Clanmates dared to come close.

Peeking inside the den for a moment, Squirrelflight could hardly make out Sunrise’s nest inside. The molly was unconscious again, having been put to sleep at sunset with poppy seeds. She had eaten and drank enough that the medicine cats believed it would be best for her to sleep more and let her body work on recovering. Snow was curled around her, occasionally mumbling something Squirrelflight couldn’t make out. Alderheart was in his nest, sound asleep, while Jayfeather and Leafpool remained awake in case Sunrise needed more treatment. They treated the other three Sisters after they managed to stabilize her, but their scratches didn't need much more than a smear of poultice to ward off infection.

Sparkpelt had been moved into the nursery, where Daisy, Sorrelstripe, and Larksong could keep a better eye on her and give her reassurance. Hopefully she was asleep with her mate, calmer after Alderheart checked on her. She at least looked better when Alderheart led her out of Bramblestar’s den, less stiff than when Squirrelflight last saw her.

Fluffing her pelt up against the evening chill, she leaned towards Blossomfall. “Shouldn’t someone be replacing us as guards by now?” she whispered. It was becoming harder to keep her eyes open.

“I hope so,” Blossomfall murmured back to her. “It’s almost moonhigh, after all.”

Not even Bramblestar was able to catch any rest, pacing below the Highledge and occasionally glancing up to make sure everyone in camp wasn’t acting hostile. Near the warriors’ den, Thornclaw sat motionless, eye glinting like quartz in the moonlight. Birchfall, Rosepetal, Bumblestripe, Plumstone, Bristlepaw, and Twirlpaw were gathered around the older tom, staring towards the elders’ den with either mistrust or barely-disguised hostility. Poppyfrost leaned against her mate Hazeltail, occasionally sending exasperated glances at her sire and apprentice. Brackenfur was lying nearby, curled up with Cloudtail and Brightheart, looking towards his brother anxiously.

Bramblestar had kept his word, sharing the patrols’ catches with the Sisters alongside the warriors and apprentices, while letting Sunrise eat with the elders and queens. Despite that, the Sisters had eaten little, too worried about their campmate. They almost had to force Sunrise to eat, telling her it would help her heal faster. They even took small bites of the prey ThunderClan offered Sunrise just to prove it was safe to eat.

“I pray to both our ancestors and theirs that she pulls through,” Squirrelflight heard Leafpool murmur inside the den. “We’re lucky we were able to help her when we did. Her wound would have likely festered if we were later.”

If she craned her neck to look inside the den a little more, Squirrelflight could see the swelling around the gash on Sunrise’s flank. The medicine cats insisted it was only inflammation, and they were keeping her cobwebs and poultices fresh to keep it from getting worse. It couldn’t help hide the fiery-red flesh beneath, but the wound didn’t smell sour like it was becoming infected, so Squirrelflight took it as a good sign.

As she turned around, she pricked her ears as a cat scrambled to their paws inside the medicine den. Bramblestar halted as the Clan shifted nervously around the clearing. Thornclaw jumped to his paws as Alderheart rushed out of the medicine den, Jayfeather at his heels. Squirrelflight was quick to follow them, worry etched across her face as she tried to check on her sons. Alderheart’s round amber eyes were blown wide with anxiety, but she couldn’t quite tell why. Jayfeather’s expression was unreadable.

“What happened?” Bramblestar mewed, quickly crossing the clearing to comfort his youngest son.

Alderheart was trembling as he pressed against his father, Jayfeather pressing against him. “I… I had a vision,” the dark ginger tom stammered, gulping in air to try and calm down.

The commotion had drawn Snow to the entrance of the medicine den, her white head poking out to see what was going on. Squirrelflight, meanwhile, held her breath. StarClan couldn’t be angry with them for treating Sunrise, right? “What was the vision?”

After a moment, Alderheart calmed down enough to speak again. “I was greeted by Hollyleaf and Needletail,” he started. “They gave me a prophecy: Clouds from the mountains will make it difficult to tell friends from the enemy. But if the Clans stay united, the way forward will be clear.”

“‘Clouds from the mountains…’” Thornclaw grunted, staring at Snow before shifting his gaze to the elders’ den. “I think the message is clear. These cats bring trouble, and we should send them away now.”

“No!” both Squirrelflight and Alderheart yowled, the former hurrying forward. “The message doesn’t say they’re the enemy, or who the enemy even is,” she continued. “It’s only saying that clouds will make it hard to tell who the enemy is!”

Bramblestar frowned at the tabby warrior. “And they say the Clans must stay united. They probably mean the Clans themselves have to be united within. I will not stand for warriors trying to question my decisions. The Sisters will stay until Sunrise is fit to travel.”

Thornclaw narrowed his eyes at them, and Squirrelflight gulped as she noticed him unsheathing his claws. “If we turn our tails on what StarClan’s trying to tell us, we might as well turn our tails on the warrior code itself!” He stepped forward, his icy glare now fixed on Squirrelflight. “Or would you prefer that? You’re awfully keen to defend these cats, after all.”

“Of course I wouldn’t prefer that!” Squirrelflight hissed back. “But I also can’t stand by and let a cat die because you’re trying to interpret a message for StarClan instead of the medicine cats! It’s wrong!”

Thornclaw’s ears twitched at her statement. “And what if the future of the Clans depends on it?”

Blossomfall stepped forward from her position beside the medicine den’s entrance, glaring back at him. “No future is decided by a single life!”

“We can’t ignore StarClan, mother,” Plumstone hissed back, surprising both Squirrelflight and Blossomfall.

“But we also can’t sit by and let this cat suffer!” Shellfur countered, stalking forward from his post by the elders’ den. His amber glare was cold towards his sister, as though they were enemy warriors rather than siblings disagreeing. Hollytuft followed him, her fur bristling, while Tempest poked her head out of the den, blinking sleep from her amber eyes.

Murmuring spread among the watching cats, as ears flattened and pelts prickled. Squirrelflight couldn’t tell if they were siding with Thornclaw or Bramblestar--or if they were just reacting to the arguing. She glanced at Bramblestar, who only nodded to her. “We’ve already decided to treat Sunrise,” she mewed firmly, standing as tall as she could beside her mate. “We will not go back on our word.”

“Our medicine cats will do our best to save her,” Bramblestar added. “I can only try to do what’s best, and I believe maintaining a positive relationship with these cats is in our best interests.”

Tempest slipped out of the elders’ den, Hawk trailing behind her. “If this will cause too many problems, we will take her home. At least there, she can die among her Sisters.”

Before Bramblestar or Squirrelflight could respond, Thornclaw spat at the silver tabby, “You should have never brought her here in the first place!”

While Hawk and Snow clustered protectively around Tempest, Leafpool appeared at the entrance of the medicine den. “What in StarClan is going on out here?” she yowled, amber eyes burning. “Why are you arguing now? At this rate, you’ll argue until dawn and wake up my patient!”

“We need to drive these rogues out!” Thornclaw hissed, about to lunge at the Sisters.

“No!” Bramblestar leaped in front of them, shoving them towards the medicine den and blocking Thornclaw from them. He squared his shoulders and stared down at Thornclaw, who refused to back down.

Squirrelflight’s paws seemed rooted to the ground. Was Thornclaw really going to try and attack Bramblestar for letting the medicine cats treat a wounded non-Clan cat? As she blinked in disbelief, she saw Leafpool frozen in fear beside the Sisters. Was Thornclaw going to attack her as well? She quickly stepped in front of Bramblestar, meeting Thornclaw’s fierce gaze with her own. “Leave them alone,” she growled.

Bramblestar stared at her, and she could see relief in his amber gaze. “We have to stop doing this,” he whispered, loud enough for only the surrounding cats to hear. Desperation edged his mew. “Thornclaw, if you keep undermining mine and my deputy’s authority, you could destroy the whole Clan.”

Thornclaw, though he wavered a bit, held his ground. “We’re going to be no better than rogues if you two keep this up,” he growled. “The warrior code exists for a reason.”

Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes at him. “We have to do what we think is right.”

“Even if it costs you two your Clan?”

Now it was Bramblestar’s turn to growl. “ThunderClan--my Clan--is stronger than that,” he spat. “If our future depends on letting a cat die, then it’s not a Clan I want to lead.”

With one last glare, Thornclaw stalked off to the warriors’ den, and Squirrelflight let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Thank you,” she breathed, rubbing her cheek against Bramblestar, “for supporting me there.”

Bramblestar purred, though it was weak. He was clearly worn out from the arguments of the day. “You’re my deputy. You’re my mate. We support each other, but not blindly. We also have to stand up for what’s right together.”

The camp seemed to swim around Squirrelflight, and she leaned on her mate for support. Exhaustion was catching up to her as well, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to stay awake. The Clan had watched the confrontation silently, eyes round in the moonlight, and now they were slowly breaking away and heading to their dens. Hawk stayed by the medicine den now, while Tempest led Snow to the elders’ den to sleep.

Bramblestar’s gaze flicked to Leafpool. “You and the others may continue treating Sunrise,” he mewed. “I’ll post fresh guards to keep any cat from attacking, since our current ones are worn out. Keep Sunrise in the medicine den until she can walk on her own; perhaps if the Clan doesn’t see her, they’ll be less angry.” He nodded to Poppyfrost and Hazeltail. “You two can guard the medicine den. Twigshade and Honeyfur can guard the elders’ den.”

As the clearing emptied, only the guards remaining out, Squirrelflight heard Bramblestar sigh. “Because of this, there’s not even unity in ThunderClan anymore,” he murmured, glancing at the warriors’ den. “StarClan wanted unity not just among the five Clans, but within them as well.”


End file.
